I'm With You
by Olive Tree Hugger
Summary: COLLEGE AU Korra thinks the rumors about college are exaggerated. Bolin wants a love of his own. Asami finds devastating secrets surrounding her family life. Mako is just confused. The college years aren't typical when you don't know what to expect.
1. Hello, Cold World

**These next four chapters have been revisited and polished. Enjoy!**

* * *

"…And there's this huge gymnasium in the Wrigley Center. I've been there a bunch of times. There are more hoops in there than a jewelry store!"

Bolin's voice echoed in the back of Korra Waynoka's head as her blue eyes roamed the campus ground. She stood in the heart of United Republic University, between buildings D and Q, in the midst of a mob of students and professors rushing back and forth, preparing for the semester.

She studied the skyscrapers, their roofs piercing the sky. Some were colored grey, others black and paneled with glass windows, some bright reds and blues. The campus was littered with foliage of all types: evergreen trees, rose bushes, orange blossom trees, hedges clipped to resemble dolphins, the university's mascot. Korra noted the diversity of the students, males and females of all colors and races.

"…Are you listening, Korra?"

Korra snapped out of her thoughts, blinking blankly at the boy in front of her. "I'm sorry, what'd you say?" She asked, wondering how long he'd been speaking while she'd spaced out.

He smiled, replying, "I asked you where you were from."

Korra answered with excitement, "Thorne Bay, Alaska. Small town."

Bolin Li'eng pursed his lips, nodding thoughtfully. "Nice. My brother and I grew up here in Chicago. The city is in our blood." He responded proudly, puffing his chest out. He reminded Korra of a rooster.

She whistled. "So...what stuff is there to do? Like, fun stuff," Korra inquired.

Bolin's face brightened. He replied, "Shit loads of stuff. There's ice skating downtown, there's a bunch of restaurants, sports arenas-I like watching the Bulls, and I know you ladies like to shop. Lots of stores here. I think you'd like it."

Korra scoffed, looking down at herself. She was wearing an old, ratty T-shirt with 'Happy Bunny' on it and faded jeans. Her mother had warned her of the expensive merchandise they sold in stores in the big city-she highly doubted she could afford it. "I'm not much of a...girl person," she explained, "I'd rather go watch sports."

Bolin's eyes sparkled, as though he'd found pot of gold. "That's great! We should seriously go check out a Bull's game some time. Once they're in town, of course."

"Uh, yeah, sure?" Korra replied, finding amusement in his excitement. For the first person she'd met in the city, he was rather funny and sweet. Her father told her that city folk could be very pushy, and very impatient. But thankfully, the Spirits were watching over her. She smiled back at Bolin.

Her eyes were on Bolin's figure. He was a big, muscular man, with a slightly protruding belly. His green t-shirt spread tightly over his chest, only to billow out somewhat near his abdomen. His faded, straight leg jeans had grass stains on the knees, paint drops near the pockets where he may or may not have wiped his paint-covered hands on. The hems of them were frayed and old. His sneakers didn't fare much better. His black hair was curly, and swept back, sans one little strand falling over his forehead. Korra realized that he looked a lot like those boys from the oldies movies: greasers or something along those lines. Bolin also had light green eyes; ones filled with whimsy and glimmered with mischief. He was cute, in a juvenile, boyish sort of way.

The two smiled at each other for a while before Bolin cleared his throat and looked at his wrist—devoid of a watch—and said, "Well, it's almost lunch time. How about you get settled in your dorm?"

Korra had forgotten about her duffel bag until Bolin mentioned it; now its weight was tugging her down. She was lugging it around all morning. Leaving the bag in her dorm sounded great.

She looked around and realized something. She was trying to find her way to the main office to ask for her key and dorm number when she'd gotten lost. "I have no idea where my dorm is, Bolin," she confessed, slightly embarassed.

He held his beefy arm out to her with a grin, saying, "Trusteth in me, lady fair! For I will leadeth you to your dorm roometh safely….eth."

Korra forgot her momentary stress and laughed, "What a gentleman!"

Bolin responded, swinging his legs forward, "To the dormeth!"

* * *

Now free of her bags, which she left in her room, Korra moved freely around the campus. She marveled at the sheer grandeur of Chicago, the livelihood and hustle of the streets. Thorne Bay was nothing compared to this place. She'd never been in a big city before. Boutiques and high class restaurants lined the streets, sleek vehicles whizzed past her, and buildings extended as far as the eye could see. She knew she must have looked quite childish, her mouth agape and eyes wide with wonder. She looked back at Bolin, who watched her from afar as he walked a few feet behind her. He smiled at her and asked in a loud voice, "How do you like the city?"

Korra smiled back in shock and the inability to truly describe her amazement. She opted for squealing, balling her fists up excitedly. "It's so….amazing!" She shouted.

Bolin caught up with her, taking her arm in his. He chuckled and she laughed with him, saying, "I'm really going to enjoy college here," she decided.

He agreed, "I'm a sophomore here, and Jesus if it's not the best city to stay up for the sunrise."

Korra said, "I watched the sunrise almost every night in the summers at home. The sun doesn't appear in the sky during the winter. It's always dark, it was depressing."

"Well, don't you worry," he replied sincerely, "You won't be depressed here. Not if I have anything to say about it."

As they crossed a street, Korra pondered over her experiences so far. Up until now, she was a home schooled Alaskan girl in a small town. She was a cliché. She had her parents, her beloved dog Naga, and one friend named Howl. After she completed her secondary education, she expressed her desire to leave the state and venture into the unknown. She needed space, away from the snow and conservatism and the loneliness. Thankfully, her parents were understanding and agreed to let her come to Chicago. The only thing barring her from living the dream was the fact that her parents were poor. Korra started working as soon as she turned fourteen to help her family survive on what minimum they had.

A gracious donation from her distant uncle had changed that.

And now that she was here at URU, she would have to learn to live on her own—or rather, around people she didn't know. Bolin came across her by chance. She'd been lost, wandering about the campus, having no idea where her dorm was. He walked by and must have noticed how hopelessly confused she was. It was his childish smile and friendly, honest disposition that got her to trust him; otherwise she wouldn't have given him the time of day.

"You'll love Rizza's," Bolin gushed as they neared the restaurant, "It's an Iranian place. The food is incredible."

Korra felt her stomach turn and churn with hunger. She hadn't eaten since last night. The only problem was cost. He father taught her that there was no shame in being a penny-pincher when she only had so much. Tonraq Waynoka had only given his daughter six hundred dollars to start off. She was tempted to ask him how much the establishment would charge, but Bolin beat her to the punch.

"Mako—my brother—his girlfriend is loaded. She takes us out to eat all the time," he explained.

They reached the glass door to the restaurant, and Bolin opened it for Korra. The brunette grinned, saying, "And they say chivalry is dead. Thanks!" Bolin nodded proudly in return. Korra thought, _so much like a child._

She walked in, and was instantly bombarded with a variety of exotic scents. She stopped cold in her tracks and took in a deep whiff, mouthwatering to the point of drooling. There were smells entering her olfactory senses that she'd never experienced before. Things that seemed spicy, tantalizingly tangy even.

Bolin came up behind her and said, "Mako and Asami should be around here somewhere—oh! There they are."

Korra looked around, trying to spot Bolin's friends. She followed his thick finger and found two figures sitting in a booth. She stared at them, both of them were pale and dark haired, and had perfect features. They were beautiful. The boy was in all black, except for a tattered red scarf wrapped snugly around his neck. The girl in particular looked filthy rich, dressed in a blur of Burberry, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. She had slanted eyes accented by dark eyeliner and burgundy lips. She looked like those girls on TV, gorgeous but cold. Korra figured she was one of those. She breathed in deeply and prepared herself for whatever venom could come her way. The brunette followed Bolin to the booth. The male, Mako, looked up. He smirked at Bolin, grasping his hand and greeting him quietly. Then his golden eyes stopped at Korra and his smile collapsed. His sneer made Korra shiver. What had she done to make him dislike her already?

"This is Korra," Bolin greeted, sliding in beside Mako. "She's new here."

Korra tried to smile at him, hoping to smooth over whatever bumps that were formed. She also waved, saying, "Hi, nice to meet you."

Mako ignored her greeting, instead turning to his brother and reprimanding, "What the Hell, Bolin? How many times do I have to tell you that you can't bring your dates around here? Asami isn't paying for her like the others."

The dark-haired girl, Asami, settled her hand on Mako's shoulder and gently spoke, "It's OK. I don't mind, really." Then she turned to Korra and stood, holding out a hand.

"Hi," she said, smiling, "I'm Asami Sato. Any date of Bolin's is a friend of mine." She said this with a soft chuckle.

Korra offered her a smile but explained, "I'm not his date. He was just showing me around."

Asami raised her perfectly arched eyebrows and replied, "Oh! Okay, well, nice to meet you." Then she sat back beside Mako and put a hand over his. She looked back at Korra and said, "Sit down."

The brunette realized how awkward she must have looked, standing there with her jaw slack. She immediately plopped down across Asami, trying to smile away the awkward air. She picked up a menu to try making herself look busy; like she didn't care that the three of them were staring at her.

"So, Korra," Asami started, "Do you live around here?"

The younger girl peeked up at her through her menu and replied, "Uh, no. I.."

"She's from Alaska." Bolin answered, cutting her off.

Korra glared at him, saying "I was going to say that."

Mako sighed, as though he was agonizingly bored and responded, "Then you should've. Don't stutter."

The brunette raised her eyebrows out of sheer surprise. What was this guy's problem?

"I'm half Inuit and half Cheyenne," Korra explained, eyes on the older male.

"_Mako,"_ Asami reprimanded, "Leave her alone. Korra, this your first year right? What are you studying?"

Korra answered, "Nutrition. I get to tell professionals what to eat."

Asami took a sip of water and replied, "We need more people like you. We could seriously end obesity in this country."

"You better not touch my diet then, Korra," Bolin added, "Food and me are star-crossed lovers."

The brunette smiled, biting back a chuckle. Bolin noticed this and winked at her. Asami must have also noticed, because she said, "Hey, Bolin's studying sports management, maybe you guys could work together."

Bolin wiggled his eyebrows at her, grinning. "What do you think, Korra?" He asked, "When I buy my own soccer team, will you be our consultant?"

Korra blinked her eyelashes, replying flirtatiously, "As long as I get to play."

Asami nodded in approval, "You play?" She asked.

The Alaskan nodded excitedly, "I _love_ soccer. I used to play it with my friend Howl all the time."

The raven-haired girl asked, "You have a friend named Howl?"

Bolin let the name fly over his head, instead asking, "Aren't you supposed to have more people to actually play soccer?"

Korra justified, "My dog played too!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Bolin said putting his hands up, "I didn't realize that your dog was a qualified player. Forgive me."

The brunette stuck her tongue out playfully at him. Mako crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled softly-so softly that to Korra it was inaudible. Nut she knew that it was far from pleasant. Korra's mood instantly turned sour the moment those words fell from his lips. She narrowed her eyes to say something, something her mother would scold her for saying, something she'd go straight to Hell for, but a waitress approached the table and spoke before she did.

"Hi, I'm Erin; I'll be your waitress this afternoon. What can I get you guys?" She asked.

Asami ordered first, then Bolin and Mako. Korra swallowed her cuss forcefully and looked over her menu one more time before finally deciding on her entrée.

Erin gathered the menus and walked away perkily. Asami and Bolin continued to talk, occasionally bringing Korra into the conversation, but Korra was nearly oblivious. She leaned back in her seat, arms crossed and brows furrowed, as she studied Mako. She glared at him, trying to make him feel inferior somehow. She didn't like being mistreated, especially when there was no reason behind it. He didn't even know her and yet, he treated her like a stray biting his leg. Well, she wouldn't have it! She may have grown up poor and lonely but her mother didn't raise a fool.

She silently vowed to make Mako's life as uncomfortable as humanly possible. Or at least find out why the hell he seemed to dislike her so much.

* * *

Dorm rooms were usually cramped, small and even dank. Korra's was no exception. Even worse, she had to share it with someone because it was cheaper. The moment she walked in after her considerably long outing with Bolin and his friends (They hopped malls for a while and then attended a poetry reading), she found a pale, brown haired girl sitting on the bed beside hers. Korra stared at her, and the girl stared at Korra for a while before the introductions started.

"Hey," the Alaskan said, "I'm Korra Waynoka. Are you my roommate?"

The girl nodded, smiling. She shook Korra's hand and replied, "I'm Amy Shay. Nice to meet you."

Korra looked around and really studied her room. The first time she'd actually been in here, it was to drop off her duffel bag, which still sat on her bed, and she didn't get a good chance to absorb her surroundings. Her eyes roamed the walls, which were painted a light shade of amber, almost gold. The room was long and rectangular; the furniture was shoved in strange angles. The similarly colored dresser took up one corner, and a desk sat beside it. A laptop sat on it, presumably Amy's. Korra's eyes went back to her bed and zeroed in on her duffel.

She rushed to it, unpacking her things. Amy asked, "Long day?"

Korra let a small chuckle escape her lips, responding, "Sort of. What time is it?"

Amy replied a few moments later, "Ten to six."

The tanned girl froze just as she was pulling a pair of jeans from the bag. Amy sensed this tension and asked, "Forgot you need to be somewhere?"

Korra looked over her shoulder and smiled sweetly at the girl, saying, "Don't hold this next minute against me."

Amy raised an eyebrow. "Sure?" She responded, confused.

As soon as she said it, Korra launched into a barrage of cusses. When she calmed down, and sat on her bed, she looked up at Amy and blushed. Amy's face was red, her ears were red, her green eyes wide open.

"…I'm really sorry you had to see that," Korra said quietly.

Amy shook her head, trying to laugh. "No, it's alright. At least you don't smoke."

The tanned girl continued, brushing some hair out her eyes, "I had to go talk to someone about my finances. They were going to get me a job, you know, like work study. But I didn't have a scholarship so they were going to work it out and see what was available…but today was the last day to see them before the semester started. I had enough money for the tuition and dorm…but it looks like I have to go job hunting tomorrow."

Amy shrugged, replying, "I wish I could relate to you, Korra. I'm working in a lab with my professor. I'm a chemistry major."

Korra lay back in her bed, frustrated, "I'm going to be a nutritionist. Watch, I'm going to get a job frying burgers at McDonald's. Oh, the irony."

Their conversation was cut short when a buzz sounded from inside Korra's pocket. She reached into her jeans and pulled out a small phone, looking at the screen for a few moments. . She gave Amy an apologetic smile and put the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?" She said.

"Hey, Korra, it's Bolin."

"Hey there, _Li'eng."_ She smirked at the use of his nickname. "What's up?"

"Remember how you said you'd need to talk to a counselor about a job?"

Korra was stunned by the eeriness, "I was actually just thinking about that. It's too late now."

"No it's not," Bolin baited excitedly, "I'm standing with Tenzin Gyatso right now."

"…The Dalai Lama?"

"What? No, he's a coordinator for student affairs. He says he may have a job for you."

"You're lying."

"Do you love me right now or what?"

"I love you." Korra breathed excitedly.

"Then I'm not lying. Starting Tuesday afternoon you work at the Caribou Coffeehouse on campus."

Korra's mouth was agape, slowly forming a smile. "Oh my God, thank you!"

"Don't thank me," Bolin said, "It was all Mr. Gyatso. Here, he wants to talk to you."

There was a rustle in Korra's ear and suddenly, a quiet and deep voice was talking to her. "Miss Waynoka?"

The Alaskan cleared her throat and used her best 'mature' voice. "Hello, Mr. Gyatso. Thank you so much for the job. You won't regret it!"

Tenzin's voice was very calm compared to her high-pitched, hyper voice. "Working at the coffeehouse won't be your only occupation, Miss Waynoka. I need a favor from you. And yes, I know we've never met, but I'm in desperate need of a babysitter for my children."

It took Korra a while to register it. "Oh, well, how old are your children?"

"Jinora is thirteen, Ikki is eleven, Meelo is ten and Rohan is five."

Korra pondered over this. A paying job at the coffeehouse _and_ a presumably paying job working for Mr. Gyatso. What luck!

"I'll do it," she replied.

Tenzin let out a relieved sigh and said, "Thank you, Miss Waynoka. Tomorrow you should come to my office so we can make the arrangements."

"Of course," Korra answered, heart beating a mile a minute, "Thank you so much!"

After putting the phone away, she looked over at Amy and smiled wide, teeth showing and all. Amy, however, had a concerned look on her face.

"Forgive me for eavesdropping, but were you talking to Tenzin Gyatso, the guy over at student affairs?" She asked

"Yeah," Korra replied, "Why?"

"He asked you to babysit didn't he?" Amy wondered.

"…So what if he did?" Korra asked, defensive.

"His kids are nuts. I babysat them once and I nearly pulled my hair out. That bald kid Meelo tried to set me on fire!"

Korra raised an eyebrow and said, "He asks people to babysit them a lot, doesn't he?"

Amy responded, "The only person that could care for them was their grandmother but she died a while ago. Tenzin and Pema, his wife, are always here. They're professors."

The Alaskan simply shrugged, "All the more reason to try. I really need the money and…I'm sure they aren't that bad."

"He. Set. Me. On. Fire," Amy explained, her hands up in the air, trying to warn Korra.

Korra replied, "I lived in Thorne Bay. I didn't see the sun till I was four. I have a Siberian husky that lived with wolves for most of her life; I think I can handle a _ten year old_ as long as I've got my eye on him."

Amy sighed, "It's _your_ funeral."

Korra tightened her jaw and turned back to her bag, folding clothes and settling them in drawers. She inwardly cursed herself for not packing her favorite blouse. It was silent between the roommates before Amy spoke again.

"And you were talking to that Li'eng guy, right?"

"Yeah," Korra responded, "Is he a pyro too?" She laced her words with sarcasm.

"_No,"_ Amy said, "He's really cool. Thoughtful. I'm just surprised you were able to befriend him so quickly."

Korra raised her eyebrow, confused. Bolin was a very amicable person, especially to strangers. "I guess. We hit it off right away." She said.

"You're lucky he looks out for you," her roommate replied, "He isn't usually so open with others. I can't believe he got you a job."

She replied, "Bolin is the nicest guy I've ever met. Why are you so shocked?"

Amy shook her head, now looking more confused than Korra. She replied, "Not Bolin. The older one, Mako."

* * *

**So I'm not sure why I keep writing fics when I never update my other ones. In the meantime, here's a new fic that's basically a college AU but not a typical one. You'll see many pairings in this story, mostly revovling around Korra because I'm a shameless korrasexual. And I chose Chicago because it's my home town and I lurv it. Review!**


	2. Fortunate

Korra remembered school back home in Thorne Bay. School meant waking up at six on the weekdays, drinking coffee—when she turned fifteen, mind you—and studying algebra, English, French and biology with her mother, then studying history and art with her father. She was diligent and forced to work hard because there was no distraction; there it was only her and her books. She learned to enjoy what she studied because she needed to understand it.

That wasn't the case now.

The Alaskan native sat, completely and utterly lost, in her uncomfortable seat in the hall. She sat in the second row, because she wanted to see and hear the professor, but it was as if she could hear nothing. She looked around, hopeful that someone was as lost in Microbiology as her, that way she just wouldn't be alone. Korra's blue eyes scanned the particularly large lecture hall, wandering over the other students. All of them looked relatively engaged in the lecture, jotting down notes in their books or typing on lap tops; they looked like college students. What did Korra look like? She looked like a little girl who wandered into a college class because she thought it was the bathroom.

Then Korra looked back down at the professor. He was the very definition of pompous. He wore a blue blazer over a white button-up shirt and navy pants, along with loafers. His brown hair was long and braided down his back. His face was long, with sharp and cross features. The professor paced in front of the class, speaking quickly, as though he didn't care if the students heard him or not. How any student could understand him, Korra couldn't fathom. She was tempted to raise her hand and ask a question, but she was much too shy and afraid to be humiliated in front of all the strangers. She glanced back at some of the students, and feeling a twinge of jealousy at their ability to understand, leaned back in her desk and opened her book. She decided to do some thorough reading and ask questions later. Perhaps she'd be better prepared.

When the lecture ended nearly an hour later, Korra shot up out of her desk and grasped her purse in one hand, fully intending to ask the professor as many questions as she could. She made her way down the stairs, her eyes on the professor. He was currently talking to another student, so she waited patiently a few feet away.

She watched him talk, as though he were bored and angry at the same time. He sounded demanding, like he was telling off the individual. She wondered how on earth such an outrageous man could be a college professor. Weren't college professors stuffy, calm and quiet?

Finally, the student left the room and Korra nearly hurried over to him. He immediately smirked, eyes glinting and he greeted with his voice dragging, "And what can I do for you, young lady?"

She returned the smile, immediately appreciating his amicable behavior. She started burrowing through her bag, murmuring a few "Well, I had some questions," and "I wondered if you could help me…" when the man reached out and grabbed her arm, the one reaching into her purse. Korra tensed, her eyes open wide. His grasp was powerful. She looked up into his eyes, which she noticed were blue like hers. Instantaneously, a million scenarios began running through her mind. Almost all of them ended with her in a body bag.

"First of all, I have nearly two hundred students. If you're going to talk to me, tell me your name so I memorize your face," he said.

Korra's tension subsided slightly, but she remained frozen in her stance. "My name is Korra Waynoka."

"Korra!" He exclaimed, his brows furrowing, the smirk never leaving his face. "What a pretty name. Where are you from?"

The girl raised an eyebrow, confused by his barrage of questions. "I'm from Alaska," she replied. Maybe approaching him wasn't such a good idea.

"Native?" He answered. Korra nodded warily.

"Me too!" He bellowed, taking her hand in his and shaking it. Korra thought her arm would fall off from how hard he pumped it.

The girl nodded, trying to slowly pull her hand away from his iron grasp. "Professor Asha…"

"Call me Tarrlok. I'm not one for formalities, girl," he replied, still smiling, still squeezing her hand.

Korra smirked slightly, replying, "No kidding." And with that, she yanked her hand back.

"Look, uh, Tarrlok, I just came over here to get a better understanding of the chapters….I'm usually good with science but this is really different than what I'm used to."

Suddenly, Tarrlok's smile disappeared and the thoughts of body bags flooded back into Korra's brain. As she contemplated over the idea of how fast she could run before he knocked her out cold with a blitz attack from behind, he spoke, "What you need is to change your attitude. You're homeschooled, aren't you?"

Korra's eyes widened and this time she didn't even try to hide her fear. Tarrlok nodded and responded, "It's obvious. You're not used to so many people. I noticed how nervous you looked."

She looked down at her sneakers and blushed. Was she that obviously naïve?

The man smirked again, the skin around his eyes crinkling together like folds of dark chocolate. "No need to feel bad, Korra. My brother and I were also homeschooled, and we turned out OK," he put a hand on her shoulder, "I just want you to know that this mentality of yours isn't going to work."

"What mentality?" She questioned, feeling almost offended.

He pointed his index finger at his temple and explained, "That everything is supposed to come easily to you. This is college. Things are going to get hard, no doubt. You just have to keep an open mind around here. Just be patient and keep reading."

Korra's shoulders slacked at his words. How was any of that supposed to help her learn microbiology? Be patient? Be open minded? She was way better off trying to learn on her own! She faked a smile at Tarrlok and replied, "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind!"

As she spun around and hurried out of the room—cursing him under her breath—he called her back and she froze. She craned her neck backwards and listened.

"Don't forget to enjoy yourself!" He exclaimed, before launching into a dry chuckle, like he was forcing it out of his nose.

Korra's heart started to pound and without a second glance she fled the room. As she pushed through the halls, she pondered over Tarrlok's words. What was he talking about? Enjoy _what?_ She started racking her brain for her daily schedule. She'd just finished her last class, ahead of it Anatomy and Sociology, and then she had to go to Mr. Gyatso's office to work out the details of their arrangements, and then to the Caribou Coffeehouse where she'd start her job. What was so fun about that?

Thinking about Tarrlok's strangely animated voice and even stranger harsh benevolence (if there was such a thing) made Korra shiver.

She passed through a few more halls of the university's west wing, all of it painted a greenish-blue, before stopping cold in the middle of a hallway that she was unfamiliar with. Other students shoved past her, to whom she growled, _"Watch it_."

Korra knew Mr. Gyatso's office was located in this part of the school. Bolin had given her a specific address, one she had forgotten of course. She pulled her phone from her jeans and started texting Bolin, hoping he wasn't busy.

"Hey, Bo? Where's the office again?"

She leaned against the right wall of the hallway and waited. As she lingered, she watched people pass by. Some were dressed relatively normally: jeans or yoga pants and a sweater. And some were dressed in bright and obnoxious colors, with their hair too long or too short or too spiky. There were shades of skin she'd never even seen before. Some girls passed by wearing head scarves. One boy wore a checkered yarmulke. She knew it was stupid to be surprised by the school's diversity. But growing up in a conservative little town like Thorne Bay meant seeing the same people all day, every day. The only reason she expected diversity was because she used to watch TV at home, and she saw the variety of races and religions. She just didn't experience it.

Bolin had mildly surprised her; a buff Chinese man wasn't something anybody could really expect. Asami was Japanese, as she explained during their lunch at Rizza's, the great-granddaughter of Hiroshima survivors. Amy, her roommate, turned out to be Scottish. And Korra was a Native American. For a moment, she marveled at the racial melting pot that was URU. But it didn't even matter because no one seemed to mind the minor differences in their appearances and cultures. They were all students and professors, with one goal in mind: education.

Suddenly, her hand started to vibrate and Korra registered that Bolin was calling her. She thought to herself, _I would've tolerated a text, but whatever_, and she picked up.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Turn around," Bolin's voice said.

She did. "Wrong way," Bolin said with an amused sigh. Korra rolled her eyes and turned to the other side before seeing him in the crowd of students walking towards her.

He was holding the phone against his ear, smirking at her. "Hey, there," he said.

Korra rolled her eyes again and shut off her phone. She walked up to him and hugged him momentarily before pulling away and saying, "I didn't need an escort, you know."

"You just texted me that you didn't know the address. Don't kid yourself," he replied, grinning.

"Whatever," Korra answered, pretending to be upset. She tugged on his arm and said, "So? His office? I didn't call you here to waste my time."

"_You're_ a waste of time," Bolin rejoined, albeit smiling. "Come on, it's on the second floor," he added.

Korra happily followed him. She was glad for a loyal new friend like Bolin. The two of them had only met yesterday but they grew to admire each other very much. Korra noted that Bolin flirted with her a bit, sending her all the messages she didn't want to deal with. It was obvious that he liked her, but she couldn't like him back considering that they only knew each other for two days. Plus, it was Bolin. He wasn't someone you dated, he seemed like he was someone you bowled or barbequed with. He was a good friend.

When they reached the door of the office, Korra felt her heart race and her stomach churn. She was nervous; it was her first time meeting the man that was giving her a chance in school. Bolin and Amy both told her that Tenzin Gyatso was one of the kindest and most understanding men in all of URU. He was in charge of student affairs; he listened to complaints and praise alike. He moved to fundraise for more campus activities, sororities and fraternities, and everything else in between. Allegedly, he saved a girl from being mugged in a dorm hall. He was an amazing man and Korra didn't know if she even deserved to be in his presence.

Bolin rapped his knuckles on the door and opened it without waiting for a reply. This surprised Korra. He walked in first and gestured for Korra to follow. The first thing she saw was a huge painting of the Buddha on the wall before her. Then came much smaller portraits: some of children who were presumably his, others of stuffy looking men in suits, and a few of a pale woman dressed in orange. In one corner of the room was a bookshelf laden with both books and trophies. There were certificates hung up on the wall.

Surrounded by all this was him. He was pale skinned, bald, but he had a black beard with a mustache to match. His eyebrows were thick and bushy. He was dressed in a red blazer, an orange sweater, and a blue pin shaped like an arrow sitting over his heart. His eyes were small but Korra could clearly see that they were grey. They also looked warm and caring—calming in a way. Then the grey eyes met with blue, and all of Korra's anxieties melted away.

"You must be Korra," he said.

She gulped and nodded. "Yes I am. You're Mr. Gyatso," she said dumbly. She instantly regretted it, kicking herself for being so awkward.

Bolin piped in, "She's ready for work, Tenzin."

The man nodded and swiftly moved from behind his desk. Korra observed how regally he walked. Suddenly he was in front of her and she also observed how tall he was, towering over her. He reached out for her hand and said with a smile, "It's nice to meet you."

Korra took his hand. "I've heard a lot about you," she replied.

"I hope it was all pleasant," Tenzin said with a small grin.

She let out a sound that sort of resembled a giggle. Tenzin turned to Bolin and said, "I hope I don't offend you, but I need to speak with her privately."

Bolin, always the understanding one, shook his head and started backing out of the room. "Go for it," he replied.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Tenzin delved right into his request. "You should know that it wasn't I who arranged for the job at the Coffeehouse. It was a student here, Mako Li'eng. Bolin is his brother."

Korra was only mildly surprised. Amy had already alluded to that last night, making her blood freeze. Mako, the boy who completely ignored her just a few hours before? Mako, the boy who clearly didn't like her and thought she was nothing but an intrusion? _That_ Mako Li'eng? He had gotten her the interview and told Tenzin. It made Korra grateful and angry at the same time. She'd been meaning to confront him all day, to either yell at him or kiss him, she wasn't sure though.

Tenzin continued, "My children—they are in constant need of care. It was a desperate measure to ask of you to do the job, but Bolin convinced me to give you a chance. I'm going to interview you—oh, don't give me that look—and then you can be on your way."

"So wait," Korra asked, confused, "You're going to trust me with your four kids, just like that?"

Tenzin let a small smile form on his face, replying, "I've already done a background check on you. I may be too busy to watch my children all the time, but I'm not crazy to let them be watched by just anyone."

His words left Korra somewhat crestfallen, because she had no idea he would interview her. She thought that once Bolin—or Mako—talked to him, he'd deemed her worthy. She wasn't ready for an interview. She was dressed in blue sweatpants and a white top. Her hair was in a messy ponytail as usual. She didn't think she smelled; she'd taken a shower last night but didn't dare sniff at her armpit in front of her potential employer.

The older man simply went back to his seat behind the desk and gestured for her to pull up a chair. Korra looked around her and noticed a brown fold-up chair settled against the wall. She pulled it over, and jerked it open. Once she was finally on it, legs folded because she wanted to look dignified, she smiled at Tenzin.

"Let's begin, shall we," he said with a warm smile.

Korra nodded and he began to ask her questions. The questions were simple and easy to answer, Korra kept a straight face but made sure to look caring enough. A third of the way into the interview, anyone listening would think it was just a regular conversation between friends.

* * *

"And remember, when someone asks for another shot of fudge, you charge them the extra fifty cents. That stuff costs a lot more than you think," Mr. Gommu explained, pointing to a hot fudge dispenser attached to the counter.

Korra was still tying her apron over her midsection as she listened. The stupid green thing wouldn't tolerate her large bosom, tightening over her chest. She sucked in her abdomen and yanked the apron flush against her body. Gommu glanced at her and asked, "Any questions, Karen?"

The girl looked up and suppressed a sneer. "My name is Korra."

Gommu blinked and chuckled wildly, replying, "Of course, _Korra!_"

Finally, she had her apron tied on and she sighed. "So, how do I look, Mr. Gommu?"

He gave her two thumbs up as he looked her over. "Like a great employee," he answered. Then he gestured for her to come closer. As she stepped forward, her nose crinkled and the grossest of all bad breath wafted into her nostrils. Gommu didn't notice her disgust and whispered, breathing hard into her face, "The students here are a mixed bunch of folks. Sometimes we get customers five minutes before closing and they need a boost to keep awake. And sometimes the place is crowded in the morning and everyone is cranky. Keep smiling and don't hold anything against the customer."

Then he tapped a gold colored plaque on the wall, reading in big black lettering, "If he's got the money, the customer is ALWAYS right."

Korra grimaced at the blatant usage of greed in the motivator, but didn't dispute it. If Gommu wanted her to be nice, she could do it. How hard could it be to pour coffee?

Her employer said with a big grin, "Rush hour starts in five. You got this, Kera?"

She wanted to correct him again, but looking at that big and yellow toothed grin, she didn't have the heart to. Korra smiled back at him and nodded, responding, "Absolutely."

* * *

If Korra ever met the individual who said that the customer was always right, she would spit right in his face. Right in the middle of his stupid forehead, too. Gommu sauntered over to her with a happy smile, holding a broom in one hand. "How was your first day, kid?" he asked.

Korra leaned against the counter and pursed her lips. She took Gommu's warnings as an exaggeration, but it turned out that the old bat was right. She wanted to complain to him about the one customer who yelled at her for making her latte too thick. And the electric outlet that shocked her finger when she wanted to plug in the blender. And the tiny apron that tore right at the hip because it was so tight. And her co-worker Tahno, who was probably the most perverted man she'd ever met. His creepy, soulless eyes bored through her all day. Korra was tired, stressed and in desperate need of a shower from the cups of coffee that fell on her. She could quit right now. But looking at Gommu's glimmering eyes, she couldn't. Plus, she'd been blessed with this job. She probably was way better off than most students.

Gommu smacked her shoulder, answering, "Great! Next time tomorrow!"

Korra groaned inwardly, trudging as she ripped her apron off and threw it in the staff room. She dug in her locker, which was old and rusty, for her purse. When she grabbed the faux leather thing, she was out the door. Gommu called to her as she left, "Have a good one, Kerry!"

The girl mistaken as Kerry hurried down the sidewalk towards her dorm hall. She just needed to get clean and relax. It was nearly eight thirty before her shift had ended. She still had reading to do for her sociology class.

Striding not too far from the building, Korra realized that she was relatively alone in the street. It was nearly pitch black on campus, only a few voices echoing through the air, and those probably belonged to people blocks away. The darkness and the lonely air scared her. Trying to stay calm, she inhaled and exhaled slowly. She even reasoned with herself, saying, _there's nothing behind you. You're just walking around campus. Stay cool._

A pair of feet behind hers made her forget all reason. The sound of footsteps pounding against the concrete rang in Korra's ears, matching the terrified thumping of her heart. The thoughts of body bags were back in her head and she would've laughed at herself if the footsteps weren't coming so fast. Her pace quickened till she broke into a sprint. She pumped her legs forward as hard as she could, breathing heavily. Her eyes filled with tears as the wind tore against her face. Her brain was so muddled with adrenaline and fear she almost didn't hear her name being called.

When the shout of "Korra!" reached her, she spun around. Two hands tightly clenched her wrists. She nearly shrieked when she was met with wild golden eyes.

* * *

**Sorry about the punctuation problems. I'm trying to fix them and I also have an ugly, ugly cold. Bear with me till the next chapter, OK? And please review!**


	3. A Matter of Time

He glared down at her as he tightened his grip around her wrists. _Damn,_ she was a fast runner. He was shocked to see that she didn't bother to pull away or scream. Her giant eyes just stared up at him, her mouth wide open, just the tips of her teeth showing. Her tan skin was darkened by the nighttime, but he could tell from the heat of her skin that she was blushing furiously.

Finally, she said something.

"Mako…"

Mako let go of her when she sounded, backing away slowly. "….Yeah," he replied.

The two of them watched each other for a few moments, studying each other. Mako looked her up and down, trying to decode her emotions.

Korra's face went from shocked to just plain pissed. She shouted, her brows furrowed, "You creep! Why the_ hell_ would you freak me out like that?!"

He sneered in response, "I called your name, didn't I?!"

The girl grunted, spinning around and pacing towards the street, "_Ugh!_ What the hell is your problem? Why did you follow me?!"

Mako followed her, fully intending to grab her and wrench her back. "I was going to get some coffee and I saw you leaving!"

Korra spun around, staring him in the eyes, boring into his very soul. Something about the shadows and moonlight gave her a frightening expression, like some kind of witch.

"It was you who got me that job," she muttered, "Why exactly?"

He sighed, feeling exasperated. Why did she have to ask? Couldn't she be just like all the others and take what he gave them? This one was different, and it made him upset. Mako didn't like to be blindsided.

"Because Bolin kept saying that you needed one before the offices closed. It was already too late when we got back from the mall, so I made a phone call," he explained. Of course, it was not a complete explanation. He preferred to keep things under wraps, away from his personal business. That included his little brother.

To his surprise, Korra smiled. She nearly bounced as she spoke, "Thanks, Mako. Wow, did I have you painted all wrong."

Mako groaned inwardly. Now she was going to cling. This always happened when he was nice. People clung and talked and spread rumors about how sweet and friendly and thoughtful he was. Mako Li'eng was not any of that. Quickly, he thought of a solution to brush her off.

"Don't think this means I'm your friend. I did it so Bolin would shut up about you," He responded coldly.

Korra raised her eyebrows. Immediately, Mako wanted to kick himself. He just told her that Bolin had a crush on her. Whenever Bolin would become infatuated with a chick, Mako made sure the girl never got anywhere near him again.

He corrected himself with breakneck speed, "He just kept talking about helping you get a job, that's all."

The tanned girl shrugged, staring at her nails, pretending not to care. Mako memorized that body language. Asami used to do that a lot. But comparing a goddess like Asami and a girl-next-door like Korra was a sin to Mako. He shook his head of it, instead saying, "It's late. I'm going to my room. 'Night." Just like that, quick and easy and painless. He gave her a satisfying answer and the conversation ended. He'd walk away and she'd leave him alone for good.

"Wait a minute," she replied.

Mako's muscles tensed and he muttered a very, very dirty word. Couldn't she just shut up and go?

"We should all get together again, soon. Me, Bolin, you and Asami," she said.

_Shit._

He sighed, turning around to see her. "I'm busy. Asami is, too. And Bolin…." He wouldn't let her dig her claws into him, "He's busy, too."

She visibly slacked. Sadness crept onto her features and Mako felt a small twinge of guilt. Before he could think, he said, "Maybe some other time."

Korra lit up like Las Vegas at midnight, grinning broadly and Mako seriously considered hitting his head against a brick wall.

_Shit. Shit. Shit!_

"Yeah, sure! I'll see you later, then. Bye," she chirped, practically skipping off.

Mako watched her go, exhaling heavily in anger. He had given her hope. Because of his stupidity, she'd come back and plow through the wall he'd so carefully built around his little family. He had to be the tough one, he always justified, ever since he and Bolin had been orphaned. Someone needed to be the adult.

He'd really screwed up. He couldn't have Korra waltzing in like the ditz that she was and pretending to be into Bolin. It had happened once to him and Mako didn't want a repeat episode of nursing his brother's broken heart.

He vowed to drive Korra way.

* * *

Mako enjoyed Asami's apartment. It was wide and spacey, decorated with oriental décor that Asami claimed came from her ancestors. Her furniture matched the Japanese theme as well as the coloring. His favorite room was her kitchen, conjoined with the living room by a paper door matching the ones found in an ancient Japanese home. Asami had her spices and tools lined up on the counter, which seemed like it was carved right out of the Hope Diamond.

Her fridge was in one corner, and neither a magnet nor a picture was attached to its front. An island made of the same stuff the counter sat in the middle of the kitchen. Four barstools lined the island, their cushions stuffed till they were about to burst. Asami said she had them imported from Japan, too. There was also a low table on the other side of the room, the kind where you had to sit on a cushion beside it. Asami didn't use it, instead covering it with a silken cloth and expensive looking china.

Mako especially liked seeing Asami flitting around like a bird making things. She was especially talented at making sea food, his favorite. She'd put on her paper apron, colored a cooling purple, and pile groceries onto the counter. Whenever he'd try to help or look over her shoulder to see what she was doing, she'd playfully swat him away and tell him to plant his tush on a barstool and wait. Mako liked that Asami was her own woman, independent and resourceful. He also liked that she played a very dominant role in their relationship, but stepped out of the way when his ego was hurt. It was thoughtful, and he really appreciated it.

She was making sushi now. It was half past seven, and Mako had just finished his last class of the night. He and Asami made a deal that they'd meet up at her place on Friday nights. Often times, they'd sit at the island and sip wine and talk. Other times, she'd leave trails of clothing for him at the door, for him to follow into her room. Mako enjoyed both, granted the bedroom sounded a lot better now than sushi.

He watched her sway her hips as she walked back and forth between the fridge and the counter. She tipped a bottle of soy sauce over a plate and hummed as she sprinkled something green over the food.

"You going to finish any time soon?"

Asami looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. Mako just stared back and pointed to his stomach, saying, "I'm hungry."

She rolled her eyes and carried the two plates to the island, placing one in front of Mako. "I'm sorry it took so long, _sir,"_ she uttered.

She was only sarcastic when she was hurt. Mako felt guilty.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking at her with big and glimmering eyes, "I'm just having a rough day."

Asami poured them both a drink that sparkled and bubbled and brought them over in crystal glasses. Her eyebrows and mouth twisted in concern and she asked, "Are you OK, baby?"

Mako liked when she asked about his well-being. It was a kind of motherly essence that he hadn't gotten to experience since he was eight. He shrugged and started poking at his sushi.

"I'm frustrated, I don't know," he said, sounding exasperated.

She sat down beside him and squeezed his shoulder slightly. "Why are you frustrated?"

_"Well,_ Dr. Phil," he started, smirking. Asami let a tiny laugh escape her lips. Mako liked that, too. Her laugh was like thousands of individual wind chimes wriggling in the wind.

"I'm always stressed and I never get a chance to relax," he said.

"You're relaxing now," Asami reminded him, nudging him gently.

"I know," Mako replied, "I just mean….I feel….a funny feeling in my gut. I guess I'm just antsy."

The girl shook her head, stroking his cheek as she said, "It's because of all the work you're doing. The academy works you like a dog and on top of that you have classes here. I think you're just nervous."

He closed his eyes and sighed, "Yeah, maybe you're right."

Asami leaned in to kiss him, whispering, "I _am_ right."

Mako nodded with a smile, accepting the kiss. "Yeah, you always are," he said.

Pulling away, she pointed to his plate and said, "Spicy tuna. Have some."

He eagerly dug in, his appetite suddenly kicking in. He started chewing the fish and letting out sounds of appreciation.

"So," Asami said in between bites, "What do you think of Korra?"

Mako immediately started to choke on the fish. He panicked, thinking that Asami knew about his and Korra's conversation last week. As he coughed painfully, Asami started to pound on his back.

When he calmed down, he wiped the tears from his eyes and asked weakly, "What about Korra?" Saying her name left a bad taste in his mouth, the kind of taste that translated straight to guilt. He didn't know why he felt like that way about his meeting with Korra but talking with Asami about it made him feel even worse.

She raised her eyebrows at him and said firmly, "I said, 'what do you think of her?' and you started choking. Is there something you want to tell me?"

Mako shook his head, replying vehemently, "No, the sushi just went down the wrong pipe. There's nothing wrong with Korra. She's cool." That was a blatant lie. Everything was wrong with her. She was in his way.

The Japanese girl placed her elbows on the island and leaned against it. "I like her," she said, "She seems pretty chill. We should all hang out again. Do you know if she's busy? I think Bolin has her number. We should ask him."

The boy felt a migraine coming on. Why did all girls feel the need to hang out so much? It seemed she and Korra were more similar than he thought.

"Speaking of Bolin, what do you think of him and Korra as a couple," Asami continued.

Mako's eyes widened and all he could really feel was anger. Now _Asami_ was going wayward. His protective wall was falling. He growled, "I don't think so. She's not his type."

"Are you serious," she responded, "They click completely! Didn't you see them talking? I think Bolin's finally found the _one_."

He slammed his fork onto the island, nearly shouting, "No!"

Asami flinched, blinking at him in confusion. "Why not?"

Mako shook his head, "It's not right. Bolin is young…only 19. He doesn't need a girlfriend."

She raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "And we're 20. What's the difference? Why do you get a girlfriend and not him?"

"Because…" Mako started. He wanted to say, _because you fit into the mold, Asami. You're part of my world, the world I cut off from the rest of the universe. Korra is insane and all over the place, she'll cause chaos. Bolin doesn't need it and I don't either. _Instead, he looked down at his plate and remained silent.

Asami smiled and took his face in her hands, speaking softly, "You're protective of your baby brother. I get it, OK? But he has a life of his own and he deserves to live it. If he makes a mistake, then it wouldn't be the first time a Li'eng made one, right?"

Mako's fingers went straight to his red scarf and he gripped it tightly. "Right," he replied softly, closing his eyes, remembering. Asami stroked his hair, playing with the spiked black locks, "I always am, remember?"

He felt his lips tug up in a smile and he couldn't help but answer, "Yeah, you are."

* * *

Saturdays were Mako's favorite day of the week. They were days where he could potentially take out his girlfriend, hang out with his brother without worrying about a class, and it was also the one day he didn't have to report to the police academy. Saturday was a day of recreation and ease.

At least, it used to be.

A ringtone coming from the other side of the room woke him up. He lay there, without opening his eyes for a moment, trying to figure out his surroundings. He'd slept over at Asami's, and now he was in her bedroom. A warm and soft form curled up next to him, and he felt hair brush itself under his nose. Asami whispered into his skin sleepily, "Baby, go answer your phone outside before I rip your balls off."

Mako had almost forgotten that his phone had been ringing and nearly leapt out of bed. Grabbing his boxers off of the floor, he crossed the carpet and found his phone sitting over her vanity.

_"Is anybody listening? Can they hear me when I call? I'm sending signals in the air, and I need somebody's help. I can't make it on my own, so I'm giving up myself. Is anybody listening, listening?"_

It continued through the same loop once more as he sleepily blinked at the screen, trying to read the Caller ID. Nothing but a number was listed, one that he thought he may have seen before.

Asami whined, "Answer the damn thing!"

"Sorry," he muttered before holding it up to his ear and saying, "Hello?"

_"Hey, Mako, it's Skoochy."_

He grunted as he walked out of Asami's bedroom and gently closed the door behind him. He replied, "I've got a good mind to hang up right now."

_"Don't be like that, Mako, we're practically blood relatives."_

"Not even close. You're Italian, I'm not."

_"Aw, come on, Mako, you know me. We spent a load of time together."_

"That was a while ago, I'm clean now. What do you want?"

_"A favor."_

"What kind?"

_"A friendly one, you know, where you don't ask for anything in return."_

"I'm hanging up now."

_"No! No, wait," _a shuffle_, "I need some help. The Triple Threats-"_

"Are your problem, not mine. I got myself out of the business for a reason. You should too."

_"All I need you to do is call up Zolt."_

"What?"

_"You know, Lightning Bolt Zolt. Just call him up."_

"…Fine," Mako smacked his lips and grimaced at the taste of his mouth, "Anything else?"

_"Knew I could count on you, Li'eng."_

Mako had an idea. "Oh, Skoochy?"

_"Ya?"_

"I need you to do some surveillance."

_"It'll cost ya."_

"I know, how much?"

_"Who do you want followed?"_

"A girl."

_"Your gal been cheatin'?"_

"No. A different one. She goes to URU, name's Waynoka."

_"Let's meet at the coffeehouse on campus at four. We'll talk details. Bring $5oo, cash."_

"That'll be hard."

_"I guess you don't want her followed, then."_

Mako smirked and rubbed the stubble on his chin. "You little bastard."

_"Nice doin' business with ya, Mako."_

With that, he hung up the phone and wandered into the kitchen, donning his boxers as he did so. He started looking through Asami's pantry, stomach growling. He found a bag of Sun Chips just begging to be eaten and tore it open. His tongue satisfied with the taste of garden tomatoes and basil, he sat at the island and pondered over what's he'd just told Skoochy to do. Was he really going to have Korra followed and documented? For Bolin's sake, yes. In case she went around sneaking or getting into trouble, the type of trouble Bolin didn't need.

He didn't hear the figure slink into the room and place her hands on his shoulders. He smelled Asami's signature White Diamonds perfume and he smirked. "Good morning," he said.

"Mmmm, good morning," she replied lazily, running her hands over his back.

"I woke you up, didn't I?"

"Kinda," Asami rejoined with a soft chuckle.

Mako smiled up at her and observed how her ink black hair bunched itself up around her face, and how mellow her expression was without makeup. She looked fresh in the morning, natural. He often told her how good she looked like that.

"Who was on the phone?" She asked, grinning down at him.

Mako tensed somewhat and Asami could feel it. "Whoa…you just turned green," she noted.

"I'm fine," he retorted, quickly recovering, "And it was nobody, wrong number."

Asami was satisfied enough because she shrugged and started humming as she strolled to the fridge. Mako looked back at her and sighed. He sighed because he hated lying to her and also because she was too good for a secret keeping punk like himself.

He heard a commotion of bowls and pots banging together and decided to make it up to her, subtle as it may have been. He stood up, crept up behind her and placed his hands over her satin pajamas, uttering, "Let me help."

"You know I don't-"

He put a finger to her lips and looked deep into her pale green eyes. "Please," he said.

Asami backed down, unnerved by the golden stare. "Alright, you can help me," she replied.

"Awesome," he said. He was given a bowl, a whisk and three eggs. Asami told him to crack them and save the yolks while she grabbed the other ingredients. While he worked, the girl began to talk.

"After you fell asleep last night, my dad called," she said.

Mako smirked, retorting, "Yeah? What does he want?"

"The usual 'come home, I miss you, let's spend time together'. Don't get me wrong, I want to, but I have a life here and work to do. I can't go gallivanting off to New York for him every freakin' week."

"I'm sure he's just lonely," he replied helpfully.

Asami shut the fridge door behind her and carried the bell peppers and cheese to the counter. As she pulled a knife from the drawer, she sighed, "I know. Ever since Mom…." She quieted and cleared her throat, "He's been throwing himself into his work and he's only just realizing how much of my childhood he's missed."

Mako looked at her and saw the pink tinge of her nose and the glistening of her eyes. Telltale signs of a very sad Asami. The girl started to annihilate the vegetables with her knife, cutting fast and unsteadily, grounding against the cutting board. The Chinese boy grabbed the hand holding the knife and muttered, "You'll hurt yourself."

Asami yanked herself away from him and responded, "I know. I'll be careful."

Reluctantly, he let go of her arm but watched her closely. Asami rubbed her arm against her nose, sniffing as she chuckled, "It's like I'm cutting up onions."

Mako growled into her ear, "If any onion makes my lady cry it'll be the death of him."

She laughed again, replying, "Only you would make a mortal enemy out of a vegetable."

"Because I can see the evil inside," he answered, suddenly taking up a far different personality than his own, "Those poor, unsuspecting mothers trying to feed their children veggies! They're going to take over the world, I say!"

With that, he grasped Asami by the hips and exclaimed, "Come with me, lady fair! Together we shall fight these vine sprouting monsters and reclaim what was once ours!"

Asami shook her body free of him with a giggle and observed, "You're so much more fun when you're not brooding."

Mako's smile disappeared. "I don't brood," he said firmly.

"You _so_ brood," she retorted.

He pouted and planted his butt on a barstool, answering, "I do not."

Asami ignored him, instead saying, "I feel like a movie today. Me, you, and Bolin. And Korra, of course."

Mako cringed. He didn't want to hear of Korra. All week Bolin had been hanging out with her. Mako had to run away to Asami's place to relieve himself of stories related to _Korra._

"I'll call Bolin and make the arrangements," she continued.

As she continued to blather on and on, Mako sighed in dismay. Why couldn't Asami agree with him that Bolin and Korra were NOT a good idea? But no, she _had_ to be the friendly and optimistic girl.

"How sweet of you, Asami," he muttered, mostly to himself.

* * *

He sat at the table, watching patrons entering and leaving the Caribou Coffeehouse, waiting. Mako leaned against the table uncomfortably, cupping a large latte in one hand and his phone in the other. He looked at the screen and read the time—4:15 pm. He groaned to himself and shoved the phone back into his jeans pocket. His eyes roamed over the crowd of patrons in the vicinity. Where was Skoochy? The boy was never late, ever. He was organized and quick, things that came out of being with the Triple Threats. Mako learned to be the same way, and that worked pretty well when it came to the academy. He was faster, stronger and way more agile than many of the other cadets.

Mako sipped his latte and smacked his lips. The barista poured in way too much sugar. He liked his coffee sugarless. He winced as he took another sip, thinking, _oh well._

He looked up at the revolving door and was both relieved and annoyed to see a young, extremely skinny male sneak in. He raised his hand subtly into the air, making a symbol with two of his fingers. The boy noticed it and quickly slinked over to him. The thin boy plopped down onto the chair opposite of Mako and greeted, "Look at you, buddy boy. Goin' clean in all senses of the word, huh?"

Mako shrugged. He was cleaner and more well-fed than Skoochy. The boy's clothes hung on him like he was a clothes line. His face was pale and gaunt; his reddish-brown hair was dirty and in desperate need of a haircut. There was a thin, scaly, white scar running under his right eye and stretching towards his wide and bulbous nose, then crisscrossing right over his chapped lips. He remembered being around for that. Mako never saw so much blood come from such a little person.

"So…business," Skoochy muttered in a barely audible whisper.

Mako leaned in closer and opened his jacket to pull out a manila envelope, which he snuck under the table. The Italian boy pulled it away and stuffed it into his own tattered jacket. The older male said, "Korra Waynoka. She chills with Bolin a lot. She's got brown hair, she's sort of tall, and tough-looking. On the athletic side. She works here on Mondays and Tuesdays, I think Thursdays, too."

"Got it," Skoochy said, whipping out a phone of his own and typing something out.

"Where'd you get the phone?" Mako asked.

"Think about it, buddy boy," he replied slyly.

He concluded that it was a stolen phone, much like most of Skoochy's possessions. He nodded in understanding, before standing up and muttering, "You know how dangerous it is to talk like this with a police cadet?"

Skoochy didn't look worried. He stood up too, holding his jacket close to him to prevent the envelope from falling. He leaned in close to Mako and uttered, "I know you're good for it, Li'eng. Plus, if you ever shit me, you can bet your Asian ass I'll fuck your shit up too."

He spun around was out of the door as quickly as he'd come in. Mako was left standing there by himself, face green and mouth agape. He squeezed his coffee cup so hard that it exploded in his hand. His latte poured out of the torn bottom of the Styrofoam cup and splashed onto the tile floor. Even when a few patrons gathered around him and a stout, wild haired man started to clean the mess, Mako stood frozen. Even the people around him, ignorant of his life, could tell from the sneer on his face, that spilled coffee was the last thing on his mind.

* * *

**OK, so first off, thank you everyone for the reviews and favorites. I'm glad this story is gaining popularity, even if it's only a little. I just clarify dates and stuff for you to have a better grasp of when this is going on. The first chapter starts on August 19, 2012, a day before my first semester of college started. This chapter started about a few days later, on the 24th of August. If you guys want to me to continue putting in dates, just tell me. Also, I know some of the characters might seem a little OOC. Especially Mako. He's being WAY too overprotective, but it's kind of plot-important. And also, this story needs a soundtrack, I think. I have a song befitting every chapter I've lined out. I'll list it out when my bladder doesn't threaten to explode. Yeah, that's right, I went in that direction.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Realize

**So this chapter is sort of an "inbetween" chapter. I'm not good at writing Asami, idk why. It's shorter and quick. Review, please!**

* * *

Hot steam rose into the air. A shadow moved behind the white shower curtain. Hot water thudded against the tile. A soft hum mingled with it, the song of a content and clean person.

_"You show the lights that stop me, turn to stone, you shine it when I'm alone. And so I tell myself that I'll be strong, and dreaming when they're gone. 'Cause they're calling, calling, calling me, they're calling, calling, calling, oh—" _

Asami reached out to answer her iPhone as it rang quite loudly from its perch on her counter. She read the screen and answered, "Hi, Mako." She turned off the water to hear him.

_"Hi, 'Sami. You ready?"_

"Almost, babe. I just jumped out of the shower." She blindly felt for a towel from behind the shadow curtain. _Aha,_ she thought, as she tightened her fingers around a fuzzy cloth.

_"Alright, well, Bolin is already at the premiere. I'll be over in half an hour. Can you be ready by then?"_

"….Uh," Asami pondered over whether or not she'd be able to do her hair, find an outfit and put on makeup all in thirty minutes. "..Err, you know what? How about I meet you all there? Korra's with Bolin, yeah?"

A sigh. "_Yeah, I guess so."_

"I'll get over there soon. I'll see you guys."

_"OK, love you."_

A warm, sappy feeling. "Love you, too."

She turned the phone off and shivered as the little droplets of water skimmed down her pale skin. Asami bunched the towel up and scurried back into her bedroom to get dressed. Closing the door behind her, she ripped the towel off and wiped her breasts, back and legs before tossing the now damp cloth onto her bed and slipping on the essential underwear and bra. Then she opened the doors of her closet, biting her lip as she searched for something suitable to wear. She had to find something that would really impress Mako today.

* * *

The four of them walked out of the movie theater like heroes walking away from a mad explosion. Asami had her arm linked with Mako's. Bolin and Korra weren't holding hands but they were side by side, raving about the movie they'd seen, _The Campaign_.

"Will Ferrell is a comedic genius!"

"What about Zach? The guy looks like a pug without his beard!"

Asami smiled at the two and nudged Mako, muttering, "I told you, they're so cute."

Her boyfriend grunted in response. Asami rolled her eyes lovingly, knowing that Mako was usually in the midst of thinking hard when he did that.

They made their way to the open cafeteria. Bolin looked back in their direction and asked, "You guys want to eat here?"

Korra piped in, "There's no room. All the chairs are filled."

Asami herself looked around. There were plenty of places to eat: a Sbarro, a Subway, even a Great Steak, but all the tables were full. She pursed her lips and decided, "I'm pretty sure I saw a Panera Bread in this mall. Let's go there."

Korra put a hand over her stomach and said queasily, "I don't care _what_ we eat. That movie was too long. I'm hungry as hell."

Bolin jabbed her in the stomach and asked, "Hey, hey, hey Korra? You ticklish?"

The tanned girl pulled away and screeched, "Stop," before giggling.

Asami laughed at their silliness and reprimanded gently, "Come one, guys. To Panera Bread."

The two behaved accordingly, or at least, they stopped squealing like mad piglets in public. They walked in front of Mako and Asami, who were still hand holding. Asami tried to match the sync of his footsteps and squeezed his hand.

"What are you thinking about?"

Mako looked at her and muttered, "Nothing."

She shrugged and replied, "It's just…you're really quiet. And that's typical but like…it's an angry quiet, you know?"

Her boyfriend let loose a sound that sounded like a snort. "An angry quiet…that's…that's a new one."

Asami pouted, "Come on, babe. For what whatever reason you're brooding now-"

"I'm not brooding," he cut in coolly.

She let out a frustrated huff and let go of his hand. Mako always brooded, and he knew it. He was always lost in thought, or angry, or quiet, but she couldn't get him to say why. There were times he opened up all by himself, like a flower blooming in late March, and other times he closed up and hid his feelings. She could never understand why. It drove her nuts.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Asami treaded past him and walked up to Bolin and Korra. They were having fun and that's what Asami came to do. She didn't want to watch Mako marinade in anger all day. She smiled at the pair, and Korra smiled back politely. "What's up, Asami?"

The heiress shrugged, replying, "Not much. You?"

Korra answered the same way, a shrug and a "Not much." The girls walked side by side quietly, smiling stupidly but not saying a word. Asami felt awkward. She hated when conversations got quiet. Did this even count as a conversation? Where was Bolin to shake things up? She looked behind her and saw the two brothers talking. She felt a twinge of jealousy. Why couldn't Mako speak to her the way he did to Bolin?

_"So,"_ she said, trying to revive the lost words, "How'd you like the movie?"

"It was hilarious," Korra replied, laughing, "I'm not much for vulgarity, but it was still tasteful."

"You ever go watch the movies in Thorne Bay?"

The Alaskan shook her head, saying, "My parents were strict about me going out. They didn't want me getting lost or anything, so I stayed by the house."

"Really?" Asami asked, dumbstruck. It was unbelievable; Asami always had the freedom to go where she liked. Her father never said anything about it, mainly because he was always busy.

Korra plunged her hands in her pockets and muttered, "It wasn't so bad. I still went places."

The raven-haired girl replied, "Like where?"

"The store…with my mom."

"Sounds fun," she giggled.

Korra playfully shoved her, uttering, "Shut up."

Asami discreetly rubbed her arm, marveling at how strong the Alaskan was. Bolin might be rivaled in muscle strength. _Just another reason for them to get together_, she thought.

She gently pushed Korra back, muttering softly, "So…how is Bolin with you?"

Something changed in Korra's behavior. She straightened her back, edged closer to Asami, and pursed her lips. The heiress could see the subtle changes and smirked.

"He's OK," Korra replied, "He's very sweet. Thoughtful…brings food to my dorm sometimes. We text a lot."

Asami raised an eyebrow. "So, you think he likes you?" She asked. She hoped Korra would. Bolin, in her opinion, was a very kind guy and deserving of someone honest like the Alaskan.

Korra looked like she was biting back a nervous laugh. "Um, yeah, I think he does. Yeah, I think he flirts with me sometimes."

As they walked, both girls very subtly and discreetly creaked their necks backwards to get a glimpse of Bolin, still holding Mako in audience. The Japanese girl lowered her voice and muttered, "He talks about you a lot. I think you should go for it."

"You mean like…_date_ him?" Korra asked, a little loudly. Thankfully, it seemed like no one was paying attention to their conversation.

Asami nodded, responding, "Well, yeah. He likes you, and you like him—"

"Well, wait," the brunette said, "I didn't say _'I like him'_ like him. We're friends."

The heiress pouted, replying, "I don't know. He's a good catch."

Korra sighed, "I know. I just don't feel drawn to him, you know?"

Asami thought of Mako, and for a moment, she knew what she was speaking of. "Yes," she answered, "I got you."

Bolin's voice nearly shouted behind them, "'Sami! Korra!"

The girls both jumped, turning around in shock to see the two brothers standing a couple dozens of feet away. Bolin pointed to the building beside him, yelling, "Get your asses over here, pronto!"

The two females glanced at each other and burst into a fit of giggles, seeing that they'd been so caught up in their conversation that they didn't notice how far they'd gone. They scurried over to the boys, Asami taking Mako's hand and Korra nudging Bolin's side as they walked into the restaurant.

After the quad took their orders, they sat at a table and dug in hungrily. Bolin was the first to say, "This Panini fucking rocks!"

Korra picked up a pickle in her free hand and declared, "This is the best part."

Asami nodded, adding, "The holy grail of the sandwich world." She picked up her pickle, as did Bolin, and the three looked at Mako.

He was calmly eating his pasta, not really paying attention to them. "Uh, Mako?" Bolin mumbled.

The older brother looked up. "Hmm?" He asked.

Asami wriggled the green thing in between her fingers. "Pickle toast?"

Mako shook his head and muttered, "I don't have a pickle and I don't even know what the fuck 'pickle toast' is."

Korra grunted, "Downer," and crunched her pickle. The Japanese girl looked sadly at her boyfriend, who was solemnly eating to himself and not really paying attention to the fun the rest of them were having. She knew it was his character, his persona to be a lone wolf, but it was damn right rude to ignore his friends whilst they were all out _together._

She would definitely hold this to him.

She sneakily snaked a hand under the table, slowly and carefully making its way to Mako's front. Finally, she found the denim covered area and began to stroke it very gently. Her boyfriend immediately reacted, clearing his throat as he ate. He shifted under her hand, making Asami grab the area forcefully, digging her nails in. Mako's breath turned very ragged, as though he were struggling to breath.

Korra asked, "What's wrong with him?"

Asami shrugged, "Don't know. Probably swallowed something spicy," she turned to him and chastised sweetly, "You know what I keep telling you about piquant stuff."

Bolin joked, "Sometimes you just got to make him eat his own words." Then he looked at Korra and held up both his large palms, exclaiming, "Oooooh!"

Korra returned the gesture, laughing. All the while, Asami kept a dreamy, happy expression as she slid two fingers into the zipper of Mako's jeans and felt around for an opening in his boxers. The man visibly cracked as she came in contact with flesh. He groaned and settled his head against the table. "Asami?" He wheezed.

"Yes, darling?" The Japanese girl replied, very proud of herself.

"Pour…me…water…" He breathed, clearly enjoying the torture she was putting him through. Asami smiled as his flesh responded, turning hard and throbbing in her hand. She knew he was asking her to let go of him so he could recover himself quickly, but she wouldn't let it happen.

"We'll order some before we leave." She replied. Now she was getting looks of amusement from Korra and Bolin. All for the wrong reasons, she supposed.

While Mako endured her pleasing torture, Asami shifted her attention to Korra. She had, after all, arranged the outing to get to know her better.

"So, Korra," she started, "I heard you got a job the other day. How is it?"

The Alaskan slacked a little. Asami laughed, "That bad?"

"The coffeehouse is just a hard place to work in," Korra confessed, "None of the customers appreciate you."

Asami thought of Mako and flicked a finger over the head of him, making him swallow a groan forcefully. "I know what you mean," she answered Korra.

The Alaskan went back to chewing her food, at the same time saying, "It sucks to be an employee there. No lie."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Asami replied, squeezing Mako's length, enjoying the cough he emitted.

Korra shrugged, "Eh. No big deal. My degree sort of needs all the money I can get my hands on. No use complaining."

Bolin spoke as he chewed, "I hear that."

"So what are you studying, Asami?" Korra asked.

The Japanese girl felt Mako tremble in her hands and he let out a soft whimper. He fumbled with the front of his pants before shooting out of his seat and muttering, "I'll be in the bathroom."

Asami felt the gooey warmth start to trickle off of her hand and discreetly wiped it onto the underside of her chair. Korra raised an eyebrow and Bolin called after him, "I'm eating your food!"

Focusing her attention on Korra, Asami replied, "I'm studying graphic design."

"Oh, cool," Korra commented, "Did you always want to do that?"

A memory of a heated argument about her future evoked itself in Asami's mind and she sighed, "Uh, no. I was actually going to study engineering, like my dad."

"Family business, huh?" Korra replied.

Asami nodded. "Yeah, he believes that as a Sato heiress I should learn the ropes of the trade and whatever. It's really not my thing, though."

The Alaskan asked, placing her elbows on the table, "Heiress? What does your dad do?"

Bolin cut off Asami, replying quickly, "You don't know who Hiroshi Sato is?! He designed more than half of the cars driven in this country! And don't get me started on air planes."

Korra's eyes went wide and she asked, very slowly, "Your dad owns a big car company? No wonder you're so rich!"

Asami blushed, though not out of flattery but of sheer humility. She didn't like telling people off the bat about how much money she had and how famous her father was. She didn't like flaunting her extravagant lifestyle to anyone because she didn't want people to think she was arrogant. Asami Sato tried to be a considerate, normal person. The only problem was her last name. People automatically assumed she was a brat or a delicate china doll, in both cases she was dumb and waited on hand and foot.

"That's really cool," Korra concluded. "You'll have to show me your dad's collection, then."

"You haven't seen Asami's car?" Bolin asked her, shocked, "Korra, you've never seen a Camero until you've seen Asami's Camero."

"I don't even know what a Camero is," the Alaskan replied.

Bolin launched into a monologue about the glorious vehicle known as a Camero while Korra listened intently and Asami altered her train of thought to finding Mako. She looked over her shoulder and saw him walking back, looking ashamed and relieved at the same time. She smiled at him shamelessly as he sat back down beside her.

"Hey," she greeted with a giggle.

Mako slid into the seat and unexpectedly smiled at her. "Thanks for doing what you did," he mumbled.

Asami winked, "No problem, babe. Feeling better?"

The Chinese boy settled a hand on her thigh and stroked it softly, replying, "Yes, actually. I am."

The Japanese girl nodded. "Good."

Mako muttered, "We'll have to capitalize on _that _later."

Asami triumphantly smiled and inserted herself into Bolin and Korra's conversation. As they talked, she felt Mako move a wiggle in his seat, just as a dirty, skinny looking boy passed by their table. She shivered. Not because of Mako's hand making its way up and down her leg, not because of the cold stare the boy had given them, but because of the way Mako nodded at him.


	5. Sitting

**Well HELLO world! How has life been treating you? I hope everyone's been doing good. I wrote this monster of a chapter (7,310 words) within the course of three days. I wrote and rewrote so many portions, it's not even funny. And guess what? Tahno and air babies. Hellz yeah. So, enjoy!**

* * *

Korra's hands trembled as she reached over the counter and placed the foam cup on it, warning the customer, "Watch out, it's hot."

The boy looked at her, smirking as he said, "Thanks, doll."

_Really? **Doll?**_ Korra though to herself. _What a little creep. _She watched him toss a quarter into the tip jar she'd established and saunter off, sipping the beverage. Korra had seen him hanging around the coffeehouse more than she was comfortable with. Sitting in the same table, the one right in next to her counter, he'd have a phone in one hand, typing something in. He was always dressed in dirty looking clothing, and was so unnaturally skinny that the Alaskan felt almost bad for him. And that scar….it was an ugly mark marring the left side of his face, dragging from his eye to his upper lip.

He almost never bought anything directly from her side of the counter. He usually went up to Tahno, or whoever would fill in for him, and ordered a regular coffee with one sugar and two creams. And he always paid with a twenty-dollar bill, though the order only cost a dollar twenty-nine. Korra had memorized his orders to the T, for no other reason than because of his blatant disregard for her presence. And then he ordered from her today. The way he spoke to her, with the sort of accent she only heard watching an old Sopranos episode, and the creepy, privy way he looked her up and down made her glad that he'd left.

She continued to serve the customers, who'd become blurry figures in her vision through the month she'd worked there. At first, she hated her job, but now that she'd spent so long working, she realized that she really_ hated _her job. Her only consolation was that she got paid, and that meant a full stomach at night. Sometimes she'd work for what felt like hours and then look at the clock—and it would only be 3:20. Other times she'd glance at her phone and realize that it was close to closing time.

Today, though, was _dragging._ When she looked up at the clock, which was red and hung above the plaque that Gommu was so proud of, it read five-twenty three. She sighed in tedium, but was grateful. Her break started three minutes ago. Already leaving her station, she started to untie her apron and walked into the backroom. A dark skinned girl in shorts was sitting there already, smoking a cigarette and watching an old game of baseball on Gommu's vintage 80's TV set.

"Cameron, cover me," Korra said, tossing the apron on a stool. Cameron wordlessly put out her cigarette and swung her gangly legs off the side of the chair. She sighed as she passed Korra, like the brunette's request was such an inconvenience. That was another thing she disliked about her job. Her peers were all assholes! Her boss was actually quite nice, if not with his quirks, but his co-workers were a big bunch of creeps.

There was Hasook, an eerie, long-haired kid who never spoke and never looked her in the eye. It was unnerving. Then came Cameron, who was always smoking and taking up space in the staff room. She was cold and sarcastic. And there was Tahno, whom Korra tried to avoid at all costs because of his rapist glare and his perverted disposition. He usually stood beside her during her shift, making comments about how tight her apron looked and how he would _love_ to help her undo it. Korra mainly stuck her nose in the air and never answered. Her mother warned her about sexual deviants that crept after the un-expecting and took advantage of them. Korra was advised to keep her eyes ahead and to never, ever speak to such a person. Her mother told her that eventually they'd get the message and go away, but not Tahno. The guy was persistent as he was freakish. That curly bluish-black hair, the eyeliner around his severely pale eyes, and his pasty complexion were severely frightening to Korra. And it baffled her how, whenever young girls piled into the coffeehouse, they'd all fight in order to get in line in front of Tahno. It was disgusting, the brunette decided. Just because his voice sounded smooth and his words were flirty, doesn't mean that a girl should ever throw herself at him. It was pathetic.

Speaking of pathetic, once Korra had settled into an arm chair and laid back, Tahno waltzed in with a smug grin on his face. Her eyes met his for a moment before she turned her face, not bothering to hide her repulsion.

"Ah, still not glad to see me?" He asked in a droll, flat tone.

Korra didn't answer, instead holding a staring contest with the wall. She wouldn't speak to him. She'd ignore him and he'd go away, just like her mother promised.

But he continued to talk, stepping a bit closer as he said, "What's the matter little girl? I don't bite."

_You're all bark and no bite,_ she wanted to say, but she remained quiet. She tightened her lips together to form a hard line.

Tahno let a scoff tumble from his lips, edging closer to Korra and even grabbing a stool and setting it four feet away from her. The brunette tensed, heart racing. What was he going to do? If she screamed, would Gommu hear her? Worry resonated in her brain and found its way to her throat, and Korra shouted, "What the hell!"

Flinching, Tahno held up an arm as though deflecting an attack and stared at her. Korra had crossed her legs together and clutched the arm chair so tightly the upholstery threatened to tear. She was as tense as a wet cat. She glowered at him, trying to challenge him somehow. If he came even an inch closer, she could kick him in the front. She was in the right position.

Finally, after a few uncomfortable moments of tension between the two, Tahno let out a forced chuckle and lowered himself onto the stool. "I just want to talk, little girl," he explained.

Korra sneered at him and pulled her legs up. Just one wrong move and he'd have a crotch-full of foot. "Don't…call me that," she growled.

Tahno put his two white, thin hands up in the air as a sign of surrender. "Alright, alright, I won't," he responded. He wiped his thumb against his nose, "Korra, right?"

"Yeah," she replied timidly. She still stared him down, hoping to get a good shot at his crotch. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know," Tahno replied with a shrug, "Just want to get to know you."

Korra scoffed, "_Right._ So you can get in my pants?"

It was the man's turn to scoff. He threw his neck back and chuckled dryly, "You got that vibe from me?"

The brunette just looked at him with total confusion, responding bluntly, "Uh, yeah? You rape me with your looks, all the time. It's friggin' creeping me out."

Tahno laughed harder, his white face going pink. Korra raised an eyebrow and sat, feeling stupid. Had she missed the joke? Or was the joke her? The thought made her blush and she rumbled, "What the hell is so funny?"

Calming down moments later, Tahno wiped a tear from his eye and explained breathlessly. "You've got nothing to fear, Korra. I'm not into chicks."

It was then Korra realized how much of a fool she'd been. All those times she thought Tahno was checking her out, he must have been judging her outfit. For a moment, she was relieved, but then, she grew angry.

"Hey," she uttered, "Why would you look me up and down like that? I don't dress that badly!" Looking down at herself, she felt somewhat embarrassed. She was wearing a green shirt and the same ripped jeans from two days ago.

Tahno chuckled, replying, "You're right, you don't dress that badly. But you do need a makeover."

"Says who?" Korra retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Says your new fashion consultant!" Tahno rejoined quickly, a big smile spreading over his face.

Korra just stared. She had no idea what to make of him. She'd never met a gay person, and her parents never spoke of the subject. It had been Howl who revealed the sensuous and vast world of sex to her. Hearing of homosexuality for the first time sounded almost exciting—like it was a whole new place ready to be explored. But now, Korra realized that it didn't seem very appealing to her. If Tahno liked it, that was fine. She just didn't want to be a part of it.

"Uh-huh," Korra replied, slightly off-put by his friendliness. Just minutes ago, she thought he was going to rape her. Now he was offering to be her gay best friend.

Something changed in Tahno's demeanor. He straightened his back and puffed out his chest, like he was ready to preach something. He took a deep breath and rolled his eyes, saying, "Don't do this."

"What?"

He threw his head back in frustration, flipping his curly hair away from his eyes. Only then did Korra notice how feminine his mannerisms were. When he spoke, he sounded upset, "The whole 'I'm gay' thing is such news to you people. Well, guess what? It's happens. I'm gay and proud. Get over it."

With that, he crossed his legs and whipped his hair back again. As he drew out a long sigh, Korra blinked and replied nervously. "What? No! I wasn't….saying anything against it. I don't care if you're…not into girls. That's cool, neither am I. Heh," she ended lamely.

Tahno stared hard at her for a few seconds before bursting into laughter, shocking Korra. He said, "You are actually really funny, you know that? I'm going to have fun dressing you up. Like a pretty Barbie." He wiggled his fingers in the air to illustrate his point.

Korra blushed, feeling flattered and weirded out at the same time. "You…like fashion?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Tahno replied, nodding proudly. "I'm studying fashion design. My parents wanted me to be a lawyer, but screw that. I'll end up prosecuting everyone for their fugly suits. You ever seen how a lawyer dresses? All that money and they can't buy a nice suit from Burberry? Jesus," he breathed. "That's why I'm stuck working here. Parents cut me off. Said if I didn't come back with a law degree and a girlfriend, I'd starve."

Gasping, Korra leaned closer instinctively and said, "That's terrible."

"Don't feel bad for me, babe. I'm doing just fine, thank you very much," he replied, putting a hand up. Then he asked, "What about you? Don't tell me you're working here for the sheer pleasure of getting yelled at 24/7."

Smirking, Korra shrugged and explained, "We didn't have a lot of money growing up, so I started working small jobs since I turned fourteen. Instead of a birthday cake, I was handed a mop. I've cleaned houses, babysat, and taught kids how to play soccer. I scrounged enough to make for my dorm fee. It was hard, but…"

"You're here aren't you?" Tahno asked, leaning closer, "that means you _did_ it."

Korra suddenly felt her face go warm, and her eyes stung. Was she crying? She sniffed and tried to laugh it off. Nervously, she said, "I've never had much to live with, you know? I was home schooled and the most extravagant gift I've ever gotten was this phone." She reached into her jeans pocket and shyly showed off her old, NOKIA phone. She watched Tahno's face change. He looked somewhat sympathetic. Korra swallowed the lump in her throat and laughed nervously again.

She plunged the phone back into her pocket, embarrassed of it, and shrugged as she weakly said, "But I shouldn't complain, right? People have it much worse than I do." She sniffled again, this time quickly wiping away the moisture under her nose with a hand. "God, what is _wrong _with me?"

Tahno scooted close to her until he was able to wrap his hands around hers, and Korra was shocked to feel how warm he was despite how pale he was. Their faces were barely inches apart. He muttered, "Well, you're in a new city with a whole new world of opportunity. Me and you are alike, you know that? We started here from the bottom and we're going to go _up_. So don't worry about a thing, because me and you are going to paint this town fucking red!" He exclaimed this while arching his back and throwing his arms up. Korra found herself giggling, forgetting all of her financial worries.

"I'm not really a fan of the color red," she confessed. She secretly hoped Tahno would find something funny to say in retaliation.

"Babe, I don't fucking care what color we paint this city. We could paint it fucking _zebra_, I just like to have fun!" He responded, nearly shouting.

Korra chuckled again, leaning back in the arm chair and clutching her stomach from how hard she was laughing. And she thought Tahno was going to hurt her. Hah!

"What is goin' on in here?"

Tahno and Korra both snapped their heads up to the door of the staff room, spotting Gommu's wily hair and accusing gaze peering at them. The brunette instinctively looked at the clock in the corner of the room, next to the TV set. It read 5:35. Her jaw dropped and she looked apologetically at her boss. "Mr. Gommu, I'm so sorry! I know my break ended five minutes ago—I didn't realize…"

The man sighed, reprimanding, "Young lady, you dun' enough explaining. I won't penalize you for letting your mind wander this time, but I sure as heck will next time you lollygag around here. Now get your tush over to the counter. Customers are waiting. You too, Thomas." With a huff, Gommu left.

Korra momentarily raised an eyebrow in confusion, staring back at Tahno. "What the…"

He chortled, replying, "The old coot doesn't remember anyone's names. Just nod and smile."

"I already _do_ that," Korra replied, tying her apron back on, "Do you think something is wrong with him, you know….mentally?"

Tahno mimicked her actions, before running his fingers through his curls, "With a haircut like that? You better believe it, babe."

Snorting, the brunette ambled over to her station in the front of the register. Tahno took his place beside her. They glanced at each other, smiling, before diving into their work.

"_Hello, how can I help you?"_

* * *

Korra approached the Gyatso house excitedly, nearly running the way there. The house was a small, quaint, pretty little thing painted the same color as tumbleweed, with a dark brown roof. There was a garage to the left, and on the right there were bushes lining the side of the house and their driveway. There were lawn lamps next to the mailbox and the bushes, illuminating the structure and giving it a lovely glow. It made quite a nice landscape.

Mr. Gyatso finally called her for her first time babysitting. For a while, he hadn't spoken to her about the job and Korra had begun to think he'd forgotten or was planning on firing her. But, as he explained earlier on the phone, his wife usually took care of the children during the day while he was in the university. Then he'd come home and Pema would go teach. She taught night classes, after all. But lately, with all the student activities and fundraisers and what-not, Mr. Gyatso was needed more often than not.

He called her as they were closing up. Just as Gommu handed her a rag to clean the tables, her phone rang and he good-naturedly let her off the hook. She punched out and nearly flew out the door. She decided to take the metro instead of bothering Asami or Bolin for a ride. She followed the directions Mr. Gyatso had given her and made it in record time. Now, at the door, she decided to give herself a pat on the back and thought, _damn, I am _so_ going to rock this. _Korra sighed in preparation, held in an excited giggle, and pushed the doorbell.

Literally ten seconds later, a stout, pale, dark-haired woman opened the door with a look of utter relief on her face. She was dressed in a mustard yellow blazer, a black blouse and black pants. In one hand, she was holding a large purse, in the other, a child. Korra blinked, not knowing what to do.

Finally the woman spoke, "You must be Korra. Well, thank goodness you're here, Korra, I've really got to get going. I'm Pema, Tenzin's wife. Let me show you around real quick, and then I'll be off."

"Uh, sure!" Korra said with an enthusiastic nod. She smiled at the child in Pema's arms, saying, "This must be Rohan. Hi!" She waved at him and he started to suckle his fingers as he stared at her wordlessly. She raised her eyebrows in confusion. Pema smirked and explained, "He's not used to strangers. He's shy."

Waving it off, Korra chuckled and said, "Don't worry. Kids like me."

Pema nodded whilst looking around her, as though not listening. Rohan continued to stare at Korra. Then, the mother looked at Korra and stepped away from the door, allowing the brunette to walk in and close the door behind her. She studied the house, noting how it was very much like Tenzin's office. It was organized, neat, and looked absolutely spotless. There was a Buddha figurine on the right side of the room, next to the couch. Apparently the Gyatso's were a spiritual family.

Pema set Rohan on the floor, and he immediately darted to the couch and sprawled across it, plunging his fingers back into his mouth.

"Rohan, sras, don't fall asleep, it's not beddy-bye yet," she warned softly as she hurriedly walked around the living room. Then she turned to Korra and explained, "This is our living room. The kids don't normally come in here except for Rohan because he likes to sleep on the couch. We don't have a TV, but there's a lap top on top of the bookshelf. That's mine, don't let anyone touch it. And follow me into the kitchen."

Korra looked around the living room once again quickly, to better gather her surroundings. The lamps were dim, the room eerily silent. No one ever used this room? No wonder it was so clean! Pema gestured for her to follow her and the walked a few steps, passing a wall to enter the kitchen.

There was a bamboo plant sitting beside the fridge, and a stove on the other side. A small table seating four took up most of the room. The counter looked…well-used, to say the least. The wallpaper was faded, but Korra could still see the orange floral design. Pema patted the fridge—well, a note posted on the fridge—and explained, "This is a list of all the things the kids don't eat…Ikki's medication schedule."

"Medication?"

"Yes," Pema replied, reading the list over and over, "She's bipolar. It's not bad, but you just want her to avoid falling into depression. Usually, she's very perky. She's taken her pills today, but in case anything happens…" she trailed off and tapped the list again.

"Huh," was all Korra could say. She felt stupid saying it, too. She had no idea she'd be babysitting a sick kid. Mr. Gyatso didn't mention that.

_"Annnnd,"_ Pema continued, tapping her chin in thought. Then she blinked and turned to Korra, saying, "Rohan still drinks milk from a sippy cup. It's from a special carton with a blue cow on it. Heat it on the stove till it's lukewarm, and then let him sit at the table. After that, let him fall asleep on the couch."

"OK," Korra replied, secretly hoping she'd remember all this.

Then Pema rushed into the next room, which looked like a bedroom. It was painted red, and three beds took up space. There was a small, wooden bookcase in one corner, and a couple of toys littering the floor. The older woman sighed, saying, "Meelo! What have I told you about leaving your things on the floor when guests are coming?"

Looking over Pema's head to see what this "Meelo" looked like, Korra raised her brows at the sight of a kid, no older than ten, spinning around in a plastic chair next to the closet. He had a shaved head, thick brows for a child, and was missing a tooth. He was wearing red pajamas, footsies, to be exact.

He looked horrified to see Korra, screeching, "Why didn't you tell me she wuth here? Oh, man, now I gotta change!" He jumped off the chair and opened the closet, throwing the doors wide open. Korra raised her brows at the child's lisp. Pema sighed in frustration, "Brtse ba, she's your babysitter. It's OK if she sees you in your PJ's."

Meelo eyed Korra suspiciously, glaring her down. Korra grinned, saying a line she'd used on many children, "Hi, guy. I'm Korra. Me and you are going to be spending lots of time together. I hope you like to have fun 'cause I do."

The boy's hard look softened, and he shrugged, "It'th alright, I geth."

"Cool," Korra said with a soft laugh. She leaned over to rub his head, but he recoiled and made karate chop motions with his arms. "Thtay away from the 'do, lady!" He warned.

The brunette flinched and bit back a chuckle, replying, "Sorry, guy. Won't happen again."

Pema rubbed her temples and muttered, "OK, follow me into Jinora's room."

Korra obediently followed her, Meelo now tagging along curiously. The next door down was their destination. Pema knocked the wooden structure, before trying the handle. She opened it wide enough for Korra to peer into. There was one bed in the middle of the room, which happened to be riddled with books and magazines. The room was painted a bright, sunshine yellow, the sheets of the bed were yellow, and the curtains of the window were yellow as well. Korra figured Jinora was one bright child.

She spotted a dark-haired, pale girl in orange sitting on the ground, sorting a few papers. The girl looked up when Pema cleared her throat.

"Hi, Mom," she said.

Pema nodded in response, replying, "Jinora, your sitter is here. Say hello." She gestured to Korra, who waved.

Jinora nodded and stood up, approaching Korra with a gentle smile. "Hi," she greeted, putting out a hand, "it's nice to meet you."

Pleased, the brunette shook the offered hand and responded, "Likewise," then she glanced around the room, "You must like to read."

"I live to," she replied matter-of-factly.

Pema's groan made Korra jump. "I'm late," she said, distressed. She placed a hand on Korra's shoulder and advised, "I'll be here before twelve. The kids should be in their beds by then, teeth brushed. If you need anything, just call Mr. Gyatso. If you can't reach him, Kya and Bumi's numbers are on the fridge as well. They're his siblings."

"No problem," Korra responded reassuringly, watching as Pema rushed out of the door, shouting, "Bye!"

For a few moments, Korra stood awkwardly with the two present kids. She scratched her neck before realizing something. "Where's Ikki?!" She asked, panic-stricken. She started to glance around her, hoping to God that she hadn't already lost a child. That wouldn't fly too well with Tenzin and Pema. Jinora shrugged, replying, "Under my bed. She plays with the dust bunnies."

"Huh?"

A squeaky voice replied to her from inside Jinora's bedroom, "I'm right here!"

Korra blinked and squinted, seeing a short, skinny girl in yellow pajamas clamber out from under her sister's bed. She had short black hair like her sister, but it was pulled back in two little puffballs. She had an adorable button-nose and a big grin on her face. "Oooh, are you the new sitter?" She asked, "Coolio! We had a sitter like you before, but she was all fat and ugly and made us eat eggs and she had this gross wart on her chin! And she smelled pretty gross too; bet she doesn't take baths. Do you? I like baths a whole lot. Especially ones with bubbles because you can't see through the water and it makes you feel like you're on this mysterious underwater adventure…"

Both confused and bemused, Korra watched Ikki run her mouth constantly. Then she looked over at Jinora, who had pulled out a book from God knows where and started reading, and Meelo, who was picking his nose. They seemed to think this was fairly normal. She guessed this was what Pema meant when she said Ikki was "perky". While Korra liked happy children, she also liked peace and quiet. She put her hands on the child's shoulders and looked her in the eye as she explained, "Enough is enough right now, Ikki. How about all of us go in the kitchen and have something to eat, huh?"

Jinora peeked up from behind her book, saying, "Mom fed us before you got here."

"Oh," Korra replied, "OK, well, what do you guys want to do before bed?"

Jinora was already edging her way back into her room, replying, "Reading."

The sitter pursed her lips, wondering why the girl barely recognized the fact that Korra was there. Did she really think reading was a better way to spend the night? She was left with Meelo and Ikki. "Alright, well, you guys are all I have left—"and then she remembered the child still sprawled on the couch. "Oh, man. Is Rohan asleep?"

"I'll go thee!" Meelo offered, bouncing out of the hallway. Korra watched him go, but felt a slight tug on her arm. She looked down and saw Ikki bouncing on one foot, running her mouth about something called 'The Last Airbender', whatever the hell that was. Korra decided to tune her out, for the sake of her own sanity.

The ten year old whizzed back into the room, saluting to Korra in a way most proper and reported, "Rohan ith thleeping like a baby."

Korra threw her head back in frustration, groaning. "Great," she rumbled, "Isn't he supposed to drink his milk?"

Ikki nodded, replying, "He already had a cup in the morning. He needs to have one at night, too."

"Alright," the brunette replied, making her way back into the kitchen. "I'll start heating the milk. Meelo, you…" she glanced over at him, and yes, he was picking his nose. She sighed and said, "Go…wash your hands and then wake up your brother. But do it nicely. Don't freak him out."

Meelo nodded, saluting again before heading towards what she figured was the bathroom. A few seconds later, she heard the water running. Satisfied, Korra turned to the motor mouth beside her and leaned close, asking, "How about you help me with this milk stuff, hm?"

"Sure!" Ikki replied, skipping into the kitchen with Korra following. It was refreshing to babysit children who were old enough to help around. Most of the time in Thorne Bay, Korra sat babies and toddlers, whom could not show here where any of the important things were and would just poop and cry their heads off. Korra silently thanked the Great Spirit for such a great find.

When she made it into the room, Ikki was already setting a yellow cup on the counter and was reaching into a cabinet on her far right. She couldn't reach it though, groaning and wriggling her fingers in its direction. She was too short.

"What is it, Ikki?" Korra asked, biting back a chuckle at the humorous sight.

Ikki hopped up and down, still unable to reach the cabinet. She pointed at it with her index finger, responding, "There's a kettle in there. Mom uses it to heat up the milk"

Ah, yes. A kettle. Korra had used that the heat up everything back home. Microwaves? Forget _that_ modern bullshit.

Reaching into the cabinet, Korra fished out a moderate sized kettle and placed it onto the counter. Then she approached the fridge and opened it, roaming the shelves for the special milk Rohan needed. She quietly wondered why he needed it to be so… "special".

"In the door," Ikki stated helpfully.

"Thanks," Korra replied absent-mindedly. Her eyes spotted the blue carton in the door of the fridge, and grabbed it. She read the label, which said "Lactaid", as she hummed as she made her way back to the counter. She timidly started to pour the milk into the kettle. Ikki supervised. Once the kettle was about a third of the way full, the little girl declared, "That's enough!"

Korra flinched a little at the outburst, pulling back from the counter. Ikki took the kettle and strode over to the stove. Korra watched her place the kettle on it and start turning dials. "Whoa!" The brunette nearly shouted, dashing towards Ikki with her arms outstretched in worry. Ikki recoiled promptly, yelling, "What? What?"

"Don't…" Korra placed the kettle on the larger side, twisting the corresponding dial, "Don't use the stove, kiddo. You might start a fire."

Ikki placed her hands on her nonexistent hips, retorting, "I know how to use the stove."

Korra smiled at her, patting her puffballs, "I'm sure you do, but it's not safe for a child to deal with these kinds of appliances."

The girl opened her mouth to reply when a childish whine tore through the air. Korra tensed, ready to run towards the sound when Ikki explained, "That's just Rohan, Meelo isn't exactly the best candidate to handle kids."

Korra sighed, torn between watching the stove and comforting Rohan. She groaned, finally resolving to tell Ikki to check on her brothers. The child nodded excitedly and floated off to the living room while Korra watched the milk warm. So far, things were alright in Gyatso's house. His kids were a bit…unexpected, to say the least, but thankfully, they were compliant. Mr. Gyatso would be so impressed with the way she's handled things. That reminded her. She reached over to the fridge and plucked the paper from its magnet. She went back to the stove, eyes on Pema's clean cursive.

_"Can't Eat:_

_-Rohan is lactose intolerant. No cheese or yogurt. Milk only from carton w/blue cow._

_-No chocolate with nuts. Esp. after seven._

_-Jinora doesn't like tomatoes._

_-Meelo has a soy allergy. Don't let him eat things from outside. Only what's in the fridge._

_Ikki's medication:_

_-Two pills from the bottle with the pink cap in the morning."_

Korra raised an eyebrow. Lactose intolerance? Soy allergy? What the hell was up with these children? Shaking her head, she peered down at the kettle. She cautiously dipped her pinky in the milk, before yanking it back and exclaiming, "Warm now!"

She picked the kettle up and approached the sippy cup. She poured the milk carefully and then placed the lid on it. Then she reached over to the stove and turned it off. Sighing, she grasped the sippy cup, placed the kettle in the sink, and walked over to the living room.

She saw Meelo sitting the floor, playing with his brother's feet. Ikki was sitting on the couch, holding Rohan in her lap. The little boy was nodding off, looking extremely worn out. He was still sucking his fingers.

Ikki saw her and reached up, saying, "Let me do it."

Korra pulled the sippy cup back, replying, "No, no. You and Meelo need to get your teeth brushed." She was met with sad puppy eyes from Meelo and an "Awww" from Ikki. Korra narrowed her eyes, saying, "Come on. It's…." she pulled out her phone from her pocket and stared at the screen, "Whoa. It's nine…." She squinted. Damn her stupid NOKIA screen! "Nine-thirty…ish? So come on, get going. And tell your sister."

Ikki huffed out, "No fair!" She slid Rohan off of her lap, and he wordlessly plopped onto his back. Ikki stomped out of the room, followed soon after by Meelo. Korra sighed as she fell back onto the couch and waved the sippy cup at Rohan. "Look what I've got!" she sing-songed.

Rohan just stared. Korra smirked, edging closer to him. "Come here, kid. I won't bite you," she said. "Come on, little man." She helped pull him up into her lap. He tensed, but he didn't do anything but snatch the sippy cup away. As he tipped it back, suckling greedily, Korra cuddled him close to her. She smiled down at him, watching his greenish-grey eyes sparkle. He was an _adorable_ child. She didn't know what nationality the Gyatso family was, though they had Asian names and looked very much Asian. They were Buddhist, so that narrowed it down to…well…nowhere. But the name sounded quite familiar. Gyatso…she'd heard it before, that was true.

She gently played with Rohan's soft brown hair and rocked him back and forth. Korra always had a soft spot for children. They were so small, adorable, and so sweet. She'd always wished her mother would give birth to another child, so Korra would have another brother or sister. But there were complications, as her mother called them, during Korra's birth, and Senna could no longer conceive. Korra grew up an only child, but the void in her heart could never be filled unless it was with children. She was given a puppy, and that helped. Naga was a good puppy and she took work, but she was no little sister or brother.

Watching Rohan's eyelids slowly drift downwards, Korra's heart fluttered and she sighed. His hands started to loosen around the sippy cup and she slowly pulled it away from him. He nuzzled closer to her breast with its absence. Korra smiled and leisurely stood, carrying Rohan into Meelo's room. Ikki and Meelo were lying in their beds already, the two of them giggling about something. Korra silently slinked in and made a face at Ikki when the child shot up and started rambling. Ikki immediately quieted and fell back against her pillow. Korra lay Rohan down on the empty bed, leaning over as she gently patted his back to keep him asleep. When he looked comfortable, she pulled the covers up to his neck and stood up straight. She put her hands on her hips and squinted at Ikki and Meelo, who were obediently quiet now. She whispered, "It's bedtime. No talking, no yelling, no laughing. Just sleep, OK?"

Ikki and Meelo both nodded and settled into their beds. Korra turned off the lights and started to close the door behind her when she heard a noise. It was loud, and dragged on for six whole seconds.

"EW! MEELO!" Ikki shrieked. The boy laughed obnoxiously in return. Korra glared at them and pointed at the still slumbering Rohan. "Your brother!" She whispered harshly. She tiptoed across the floor and opened the window, mindful of keeping the screen in place.

Then she left the room, whispering "goodnight" to the children before closing the door. Then she quietly made her way to Jinora's room. The lights were still on. Korra peeked from the behind the door and smiled at the thirteen year old. She was on her stomach, a book nestled just under her neck. "Jinora? Did you brush your teeth?"

The girl looked up and blinked. "No…" she said slowly, "but I'll get to it."

"Please do," Korra replied, "And go to bed. It's late for you young'uns."

"Mm," Jinora replied, eyes still glued to her book. Shaking her head, Korra closed the door behind her and walked back to the living room. With nothing to do, she plopped onto the couch and sighed. Strange how being in this house felt so…natural. Like she belonged with these people. She and Rohan had gotten along swimmingly, as expected. Jinora seemed to like her. Meelo and Ikki, despite their high energy, were great kids. Korra felt proud of herself. She was a natural at this. She patted herself on the back, feeling smug. Whatever Amy was so worried about, it was silly. Korra had it all under control.

Her stomach growled. She looked down at her abdomen, trying to remember when the last time she ate was. She recalled nibbling on a bagel during her microbiology class. She practically hit herself—that was more than nine hours ago! Her stomach rumbled in response. Korra heaved herself off the couch, muttering, "Yeah, yeah, I hear you."

She trudged into the kitchen, hoping there would be something edible for her in the Gyatso's fridge. She swung the fridge door open and started pawing through the drawers and shelves. There were lots of fruits, vegetables, and tofu. There was no sign of meat anywhere. Korra wondered to herself if they were vegetarians. She saw a bottle of soy sauce and wondered what they could possibly eat it with. Then she found a jar of what looked to be hummus. Finally, after a fruitless search for anything already prepared, Korra chose to make herself a hummus sandwich. She grabbed a head of lettuce and a tomato, the hummus and found a loaf of _Mother's_ bread on top of the fridge. She went to the counter and started to prepare the sandwich, grabbing a clean knife from the drawer. She cut up the tomato and put two slices of it on the bread, as well a leaf of lettuce, before spreading the hummus on the unused slice of bread. When she finished, put everything away and bit into the sandwich. The odd, bland taste of the refrigerated hummus and the stale bread made Korra groan as she chewed with disdain.

But she forced the first mouthful down her throat and started on the second one. She wouldn't complain about the food as long as there was some around. Sighing, she decided to do some exploring while she had some time to spare. Korra strolled around the house, slipping past the children's rooms. The lights in Jinora's room seemed off. _Good_, Korra thought to herself. She bit into the first tomato slice. She passed by a few potted plants, one of them being a sunflower, and a few portraits. Korra tried to study the faces. One picture was of an elderly couple. The old man was bald, with a dark beard extending from his jaw to his chin. He was dressed in dark orange and brown. The woman beside him was tanned, with grey hair in a bun. She was wearing a heavy blue coat. They were holding hands and smiling. They were standing in front of a building, one that looked a lot like the front of Building F at URU. Korra thought that was odd. Maybe they went there? She thought. She decided to leave it alone after some thought.

She approached a closed door and opened it, catching sight of a large bed. She blushed and turned away. Even though no one was in there, Korra had been told form a young age never to intrude on a married couple's room. But curiosity got the best of her and she pushed through the door. She left the door open to let some light from the hallway flood in. She finished her sandwich, sighing in displeasure and snooping around. She saw the bed, the nightstands literally covered in paperwork, and the dresser that needed to be dusted. The bedroom was cluttered, but Pema could hardly be blamed. She had four kids, didn't she? Korra had trouble keeping her _clothes_ clean and she had no one to look after but herself.

Stepping over a discarded sock, Korra approached the closet and opened it. A heap of clothes was what she was met with. Praying that none of it fell on her, she slammed the doors together almost as fast as she'd opened it, but not before spotting something rectangular perched on the shelf above the heap. Intrigued, she started to open the closet again when she heard a loud jingle coming from outside.

Korra half-shrieked, half-gasped at the sudden sound, letting go of the closet as she stumbled back. She blinked, trying to place the jingle she'd heard. Her hand instinctively flew down to her pocket. When she felt no bulge, she face palmed herself. _My phone! Must have left it on the couch! _She recalled. It was then she realized that she shouldn't have been so privy and sneaky around her employer's stuff. Her mother always told her never to intrude on people's personal possessions and secrets. Feeling ashamed of herself, she slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Picking up her phone, she looked at the screen and pursed her lips. Amy was calling her? Korra and her roommate had become friendly with each other; they never fought about boundaries or anything like that. There was only one weird thing about Amy. She was always on her lap top, typing things up or texting on her phone. Korra never asked what she was doing; it wasn't her business. But then again, she'd just invaded Mr. Gyatso's personal space.

"Amy?" She greeted, holding the phone up to her ear.

_"Hey, Korra? Where've you been?"_ Amy replied.

"Uhhh," the brunette replied, "Babysitting?"

A shuffle. Some voices in the background and then Amy responded, _"Oh. For Gyatso, huh?"_

_"Yes,"_ Korra answered defensively. She scratched her nostril. "And they were perfect little angels, for your information."

Amy let out a dry chuckle, more of a scoff really. _"If you say so. Anyways, I'm locking the door in one hour. Will you be back by then? Or do you have your key?"_

The brunette plunged her fingers into her pockets, panicking as she realized that her key was in fact not with her. "Uhhhm…." She trailed off, not knowing how to tell Amy.

There was another shuffle and her roommate said something Korra could not make out. A male's voice echoed behind Amy's and she wondered if her roommate had invited someone into their dorm. Then Amy was back and chuckling, telling Korra, _"You forgot your key here, Kor. Don't worry, I'll leave the door open."_

Korra blew out a sigh of relief. "Awesome. I'll talk to you then?"

_"Sure thing, Kor."_

"OK, bye."

"Bye."

With that conversation finished, Korra shoved her phone in her pocket and lay back on the couch, kicking her legs up. Now what to do? She couldn't leave until Mr. Gyatso or Pema got here. She yawned and muttered to herself, "This couch is comfy." She buried her face into the cushion and yawned again. Was she really that tired? As she drowsily drifted off to dreamland, she murmured, "Of course not."

* * *

The entire drive from Mr. Gyatso's house was a sleepy blur to Korra. The couple had come home within seconds of each other. The brunette awoke with a start when she heard the front door open, snapping up and rubbing her eyes. Mr. Gyatso offered to drive her home. That she would agree to.

Mr. Gyatso barely said a word to her, allowing her to sober up properly. Korra's eyes burned, and her eyelids were heavy. When he dropped her off her dorm building, he handed her a twenty dollar bill, thanked her, and drove off. Korra was so sleepy and doozy that she didn't have time to say goodbye. Sniffing, she turned around and trudged into the building. She was quite aware of the strange rustling of the bushes behind her, and the familiar flash of reddish-brown something, but she was too tired to care.

* * *

**Didja like it? Well, didja? I hope you did. I like it. Please review, pretty please.**


	6. Unicorn

It was a lazy afternoon in Thorne Bay. It was approximately 2:13 pm, a Thursday, and it was spring. The sun was actually out, hanging above the town from its giant blue perch, shining gloriously for the first time in months. There was fog coating everything, like the clouds had decided to pay the ground a visit.

A large, white dog scampered across the wet snow in front of the Waynoka's cabin. There was a bright blue collar encircling her neck, and a leash wildly snapping behind her as she trotted about the ground, snapping her jaws curiously at the foggy atmosphere. A tall, tan girl shouted from the front porch, "Naga! Get over here, girl!"

The husky stopped chasing her tail and perked up when she heard her name being called. She spotted her new owner's silhouette standing a few yards away, waving and whistling to her. Naga excitedly dashed across the yard, surprising her owner as she leapt into her arms. Korra yelped as her new puppy hurdled herself into her arms, knocking her down. The brunette fell onto the porch, hitting her head on the wooden threshold. Throbbing pain shot through her spine, and listening to Naga bark incessantly didn't help the situation. As Korra sat up, rubbing her cranium, Naga howled and rumbled at something in the distance.

Still feeling pain, the brunette slowly stood up and blinked at her dog. "Naga? What is it, girl?"

The large pup continued to bark uncontrollably at something that Korra couldn't see. The brunette squinted, unable to make out was scaring Naga because of the fog. She could hear her mother's warnings ringing through her head. She shouted, "Naga! Get over here, now!"

Naga whimpered at the fog before tensing and growling menacingly. As menacing as a sixteen week old pup could be. Korra bounded towards her dog, thinking someone could be sneaking around their property. As she grew closer, Naga barked again and lunged at something. "No!" Korra yelled. She didn't expect to hear her friend's voice shout, "Bad dog! Bad dog!"

Howl struggled to rip the puppy off of his leg, as she was clomping down on his sweat pants and growling. Korra sighed in relief when she saw him. She hurried over to him, wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "Thank goodness it's just you, Howl. I thought you were a robber or something."

She let go of him, leaned down and pressed her palms against Naga's coarse white fur and gently pet her. "It's OK, girl," she uttered soothingly, "Howl is a friend."

The dog's growls grew fainter until they were no more than soft rumbles in her chest. She released the boy's pant leg from her jaws and nuzzled Korra's knee. The thirteen year old girl giggled at Howl's angry expression and stood up, vindicating, "Hey, you should've said something. You're lucky she didn't bite your butt off."

"Since when did you even _get_ a dog?" The auburn haired boy asked, brushing himself off.

"Last week," Korra replied, making kissy faces at Naga, "While you were away in See-att-ul." She pronounced the name of the city the way he'd originally taught her.

He sneered at the dog, who was too busy watching her owner, her giant pink tongue flopping out of her mouth as she panted excitedly. The boy turned to Korra and replied, "Didn't know you were a dog person. Anyway, I came here to tell you something important. Let's go to the Green."

The brunette nodded understandingly and cooed to her puppy, "Stay here, Naga. Be a good girl and stay." She slowly backed away, her arms stretched out all the way ahead of her. "….Stay," she repeated. Naga tipped her head to the side, not fully comprehending. Korra pointed at the floor, uttering _"Stayyyy." _The dog finally obeyed, flopping onto the snow with her snout point towards her. Korra smiled wide and cooed, "Good girl!"

Howl plunged his hands into his pockets and walked side by side with his best friend. Korra looked up at him and studied his features. The last month he'd spent in Seattle had really changed him. Howl Farley used to be scrawny, pale, and short. But whatever happened to him while he was away must have been big because Howl was just that….he was big. He grew at least four inches taller, towering over the young girl when before she used to be the same height as him. His shoulders and chest broadened so much that his normally large sweater looked rather tight. His reddish-brown hair was cut shorter than usual—normally it was down to his shoulders. Even his voice sounded different—it was deeper. It did funny things to Korra. It made her feel like Howl changed too much.

"Still training her," Korra explained, referring to Naga, "she's doing pretty well considering I just got her."

Howl sniffed and nodded, scratching his nostril. "My aunt in Seattle had a dog. It was a wiener dog."

Korra snorted, "You said _wiener."_

He snorted too, elbowing her in the ribs. "Don't be immature," he reminded her.

Burying her hands into the front pocket of her sweater, she reminded him, "I got my period before you hit puberty, so by default I am more mature than you."

Howl blushed slightly, looking down at the snow as his boots crunched against the white stuff. It was true that Korra had found a blotch of red in her underwear two years before his hormones finally decided to start working. "Whatever. Now we've both hit puberty, so don't talk like a kid."

Taken aback by his sudden rudeness, Korra raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's _your_ problem?"

She kicked at the snow underneath her as Howl slowed down his walking. He sighed, causing a puff of white to form in the air around his lips. "Sorry," he muttered, looking at the ground, "I haven't been feeling well lately."

"Really?" Korra asked, looking concerned. "What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you when we get to the Green."

She bit her lip and nodded. Howl had always been quiet, secretive even. He guarded himself diligently, always afraid of saying something or doing something that could disturb the peace around him. When Korra befriended him, he'd initially told her that they couldn't be friends. But the brunette never took no for an answer. And there they were, best friends, at the "Green", an aging Evergreen tree in the midst of nowhere. Most of its branches were sheared off from the bottom, but no one knew why. It was surrounded by snow heaps and fallen pine needles.

Korra took her usual spot under the tree, crouching. Howl kneeled down beside her, leaning against the tree's massive trunk for support. The brunette traced the rough edges of bark against her fingers and waited for Howl to say something. She didn't like to push him. While she was brash and blunt sometimes, Korra knew which lines to never cross. One of them was pushing Howl too far.

The boy blew out another breath, and Korra resisted the temptation to reach out and touch the white cloud. Howl looked at Korra and said, "I've been having dreams. Weird ones."

"Yeah?" Korra asked, pulling her knees closer to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "What are they about?"

That's when Howl blushed and Korra smirked, asking, "A girl?"

Her friend's face turned a brighter shade of red than she'd ever seen it turn. "So they are about a girl!" She gleefully shouted, pulling him back and forth in excitement. "I knew it! Whooooo isssss itttt?!" She asked loudly.

Howl grunted as his body was shaken almost violently. "Stop!" He shouted. Korra released him the moment his voice sounded. He cleared his throat and recomposed himself, sniffing and rubbing his nostril again. Korra stared at him with big, hurt, confused blue eyes. Howl felt terrible. He didn't like upsetting Korra. Especially with what he was about to confess.

"It started when we got to Seattle. My legs were sore, and I kept waking up with wet sheets…"

Korra giggled at the memory as she turned the page of her anatomy book. Sitting in the student lounge in Building C where she had her science class, shed had the book tucked in her lap, with leg propped up on the chair to create a shadow over the page. The room was large, with black, circular tables and black, hard chairs with twisted legs. Two vending machines lined the wall, as well as a coffee machine. Normally, there were dozens of students idling in this place, each little clique to their own table or corner. This morning, however, was still in its beginnings for anyone in their right mind to be awake, studying for a test they wouldn't be taking until a few hours later. That is, except Korra and a few other stressed students in the lounge. Someone still saw what the paper looked like and took her laughter as a sign of immaturity. The passerby rolled their eyes at Korra as they strolled by her table and the brunette blushed, ducking her head.

"It's not what you think!" She called after the student. His blond head shook as he left Korra to herself. She blushed and threw her head back, groaning. _Whatever,_ she thought to herself. She lowered her leg off of the chair, and pushed the heavy book onto the desk, beside her blue Jansport backpack. She sighed, playing with the lower right corner of the smooth paper as she struggled to focus on the words.

"…"

She pulled her head away with a grunt, unable to take it anymore. She'd been studying all morning, slipping into day dreams every few paragraphs. It was like her brain didn't want to see her ace her anatomy test. It was her first test in the semester, aside from the pop quizzes and queries she'd taken in her classes, this was the first real exam she had to take, and she wanted to do well. But her freaking brain decided to be all _'nope, going to think about home right now. Screw your academic shit'._ At least, that's what Korra figured her brain was saying.

Speaking of home, she sort of missed it. She missed the relative quiet home life with her parents—when Naga wasn't barking mercilessly over her head. And she missed the people she used to see every day around town. In the university, she could swear she never saw the same passing face twice. It was rather….discomforting. How many people could fit into ONE university?

Korra let out a jaw-cracking yawn, a side effect of sleeplessness. She reached into her pocket and fished out her ugly, bulky phone. 6:41 am. She exhaled slowly, trying to stop an incoming yawn. She'd been awake for an hour and a half. She wished for some time to go back to her dorm and sleep, but now Amy would've been awake and getting dressed. Korra would have no time to sleep or relax. Her first class started at 7:30 sharp, but damn, she needed some energy.

She glanced up at the coffee machine, its sleek and elegant Coffee Mate logo beckoning her to purchase piping hot caffeine. Without thinking twice, Korra picked up her rather heavy book , her backpack and rushed to the machine as though someone were to take away her privileges to it if she didn't buy some now. She studied her options, ignoring the tea and cocoa buttons_. _Finally, she chose what she decided was best for her pockets and her energy levels. She and the machine exchanged offerings—her dollar and twenty cents, and its piping, steaming cup of black magic.

Gratefully, Korra took back her remaining eighty cents, picked up the plastic cup and took a careful sip. She cringed as the heat scorched her upper lip. Coffee could really be a jerk sometimes. She looked around the room, watching a few students and faculty members start to trickle in as the day started. Korra officially felt rotten. While she liked school and all, she hated the feeling of foreboding doom when school started. She had an exam today, for goodness's sake! She sighed, ever so slightly squeezing her cup and enjoying the pleasant warmth it gave her hand.

She was tempted to reclaim her seat at the table she'd been sitting, but two students had already taken her spot. Korra silently cursed them and took another sip of coffee, ignoring the painful sensation it brought her tongue. Now where would she go? The classroom probably wasn't even open yet. Thinking hard, Korra started to walk towards the main door, hoping to go sit on a bench outside when her arm was hit with something, like a brick wall.

"Watch it!" The brick wall growled.

Korra blinked and spun around, recognizing that voice. That voice had muttered some awful things to her. She saw the blaringly red scarf first, then Mako's rapidly striding body next. Korra called, "Mako!"

He visibly cringed when he heard her voice, halting altogether. He turned his head towards her direction slowly. Korra could see the sleepiness etched all over the man's face. She hurried over to him, saying, "Hey, Mako. What are you doing in my neck of the woods?" She stuck her tongue out to the side of her mouth to indicate she was making a joke. Mako raised an eyebrow and retorted, "I come to this building on Wednesdays for a lab." Apparently, he didn't catch the joke—or maybe she was just bad at telling them? Korra nodded, replying, "Cool, I actually have anatomy and microbiology in this building." She held up her enormous book to show him. "Got a test today."

Mako looked preoccupied, rubbing his eyes and clearing his throat constantly. He said absent-mindedly, "Unfortunate." Korra furrowed her brows together. She wished she knew what this man's deal was. He never tolerated her, never wanted to talk to her, never wanted to even look at her! She narrowed her eyes when she found his gaze aligning with his shoes. She sighed at the sudden silent cloud that fell over them. Mako yawned again, his mouth opening so wide that Korra could see his uvula dangling from the back of his throat.

"That tired, huh?" Korra asked, shifting her feet back and forth.

Rubbing an eye, Mako replied sleepily, "Yeah. Didn't sleep much last night."

Korra glanced over her shoulder at the coffee machine, then the cup in her hands. It was still warm. Mako sniffed and yawned again. "You want some coffee?" She asked. "I'm buying."

He raised an eyebrow at her like she'd just asked him to marry her. "No…no.." he grumbled, already walking away, "I'll be OK."

She grabbed his arm, to which he turned around and glared at her. Well, it wasn't a glare with those sleepy eyes of his. It was more of a squint. Korra chuckled softly, "Hey, cool guy? Let me help you."

Sighing, Mako massaged the back of his neck as Korra placed her backpack, book, and coffee cup on a table and ambled over to the machine. She ordered one regular cup of coffee, with her unaware that he was watching her backside. She hummed to herself as she watched the black liquid trickle downwards swiftly. She looked over her shoulder, smiling at Mako as she asked, "How's Asami?"

He rubbed his eyes again, replying, "Alright."

"Cool," Korra responded, grasping Mako's newly made coffee in one hand and her old one in the other. "I had a lot of fun with her last time we saw each other. She's really sweet."

Mako smirked for a moment as he gratefully took a sip from the cup. "Yeah, she's good like that," he replied.

Korra went back to the table, shoved her book into her bag, heaved it onto her back and took her coffee. She inclined her head to the side, gesturing to the small walkway outside the building. "You want to go wait? My class starts at 'thirty."

He shrugged, replying, "Yeah. Sure."

They walked outside and Korra immediately exhaled, hoping to see the white clouds appear around her mouth, but it was no use. It wasn't cold enough. She glanced up at Mako and sighed, "I wish it would snow. I miss snow."

Gulping down some coffee, Mako rolled his eyes. "You've never seen Chicago in the wintertime. When it snows, it snows really hard. You could probably drown in the stuff because there's so much."

"Really?" Korra asked, sounding excited.

Mako scoffed, "No. It's not that much snow…but we do get some. Don't worry. I'm sure you'll feel right at home by December."

The brunette clenched her coffee tighter, murmuring, "We always have snow."

The man sat onto the stone ledge by the windowless side of the building, keeping his legs separated slightly. He tapped his feet against the pavement, occasionally drinking the coffee in his hands. Korra hummed softly, sitting with one leg folded upon the other. They sat like that for a few moments before Mako hissed unexpectedly. The brunette glanced upwards, surprised, to see him massaging his shoulder and making a face.

"What's wrong?" Korra asked.

He sighed, rolling his shoulder, "Had an obstacle course exam yesterday at the academy. Think I pulled a few muscles." He watched her blue gaze and added, "Aced the exam though."

"Academy?" The brunette echoed. "Like, military?"

Mako shook his head and replied, "Police. Been taking some classes at the academy and here, trying to gain some leverage, you know?"

Korra raised her eyebrows, impressed. Mako wanted to be a cop? No wonder he didn't trust her! Maybe he thought she wasn't trustworthy? She said, "That's actually really cool, Mako. Why'd you choose to be a cop?"

Something in Mako's disposition changed. His back straightened, his eyes sharpened, and his jaw locked. He replied numbly, "My parents were mugged by a gang banger. Cut 'em down right in front of me. I was only eight."

"Mako…" The pieces clicked inside Korra's mind. "So this is about….revenge?"

"No!" Mako retorted, glowering. He scratched his knee. "It's about avenging my parents…and making sure no one should ever go through what I felt."

His voice had been rough and stiff until the last word, where it broke. Korra felt terrible for making him upset. She hadn't known there was such a sensitive side to the Li'eng brother. She uncertainly put a hand on his shoulder, watching him eye the ground with so much guilt and anger. Mako didn't pull away when she touched him, if only seeming to warm up to her. "I'm really sorry, Bolin didn't tell me" Korra whispered.

A crinkle of a fallen leaf sounded beside them, causing the pair to pull away from each other and clear their throats. Mako pulled his coffee to is lips, whilst Korra kicked her leg in boredom. She looked over at him and, hoping to alleviate some of the tension, she uttered, "Why do you spike your hair like that?"

Mako blinked at the random question and raised an eyebrow at her. "Why do you wear your hair all messy like that?"

Korra shook her head, the brown locks willingly responding to the movements. "Because I like my hair this way. Now you _answer my question_." She said this with mock-anger.

The male shrugged, retorting, "Same reason as you."

"Nah, I think there's more to it," Korra responded, smirking devilishly. "It's so spiky and sharp. Like a unicorn's thingy. Hey! Mako, you're a unicorn!"

Snorting, Mako replied, _"Neigh."_

Korra scoffed, "That was _so_ not the sound that a unicorn makes. You're supposed to jingle and fart rainbows. Can you do that?" She gave him a serious look, narrowing her blue eyes at him.

She watched him slouch and set his coffee aside. Mako deadpanned simply, "You make me tired, Korra."

Throwing her head back, she laughed and replied, "That means I'm doing my job. I should get a raise for this."

Mako put his face into his hand and smirked, retorting, "Well, now I know Bolin doesn't like you for your sense of humor."

Korra gently punched his arm and dryly replied, "Very funny, unicorn. Now fart me a pot of gold."

The male let out a loose laugh, making the brunette flinch at the sudden response. Watching him chortle, however, made her smile. She was finally getting him to open up. Korra noted the way his nostrils flared as he laughed, the way his brows crinkled towards each other. _Finally, I've made a friend of him, _she thought.

When he calmed down, Mako smirked at Korra and said, "Never mind. You are pretty funny."

"You're not so bad yourself, city boy," she rejoined, quirking an eyebrow and smiling at him. His gold eyes flickered for a moment and he stood up, downing the rest of his coffee. He crushed the foam cup in his hand and nodded towards the brunette, "I got to go. It was nice talking to you….Korra."

The brunette wasn't prepared for the strange sensation she felt when he said her name. It sounded kind, and well, friendly. It made her stomach flip and her spine tingle. She blinked in response, before replying, "Yeah, been a real pleasure." _Real smooth, Kor_, she thought, mentally slapping her forehead. Mako nodded again and turned around, and as he started to walk away, he looked over his shoulder and called, "Good luck on your exam!"

That's when Korra's stomach fluttered once again._ Holy crap, I'm in trouble, _she thought. She sighed, grabbing her coffee cup and gulping down as much of it as possible in hopes that she wouldn't think anymore of the scarf-wearing boy.

* * *

**Finally! Some Makorra up in this story! Well, it's not really Makorra, more like a one-sided physical attraction as of now. And I keep telling you I have a playlist waiting for this story. I just keep putting it off, and I apologize. I'm busy all the time.**


	7. Decisions

Korra could hear Amy rustling about their puny dorm room, creating the most unnecessary and insufferable noises she'd ever heard. The brunette lay on her side, on her hard mattress, facing the wall—the whole while cursing Amy's tendency to wake her up earlier than need be. Every morning, whether she had a class or work, Amy would wake up at six AM and start pacing round the room, zipping things and slamming things and mumbling into her cell phone. Korra could honestly care less about what her roommate had to do, whether or not those things were important, because she just needed some sleep! For the love of all that was good and pure, she wanted to wake up at ten AM on later on her days off!

Finally, after having enough, the brunette turned over and gave her roommate a nasty glare. Korra could feel the crusty presence of dead cells around the corners of her eyes, the puffiness of tired retinas pounding in her head. Amy was hunched over the mini-dresser in the corner. She looked over her shoulder as if by accident, as if Korra's glare could speak. Or scream.

"What?" She asked, looking genuinely confused, as if the time was seven at night and Korra's decision to sleep now was ridiculous.

The blue eyed girl rolled her eyes in frustration. She kicked her thin white sheet away from her body and sat up. Her head felt light. "This is the millionth time you wake me up before eight." She squinted at the Mini-Mouse clock on the wall just to make sure she was correct.

Amy looked over too, and then back at Korra, before glowering back and spitting, "Well, excuse me, your highness, for trying to be productive instead of lazing the day away."

Korra gaped before snarling, "I wasn't '_lazing away'_, I was sleeping! Sleep is kind of important, you know."

"It's not my fault you're a light sleeper. And you chose to have a roommate. I was fine before you came along," the sophomore student retorted coolly, before pulling out a folded red piece of cloth, Korra figured it was shirt, and leaving the room, slamming the door hard. Korra rumbled, "Yeah, you better walk away." All the while, she was fully aware that her roommate could not hear her.

She reached up to scratch at the sand in her eyes, catching some under the nail of her forefinger. She stared at it before flicking it away and standing up. Straightening her rumpled, new t-shirt and sweats, Korra reached up to itch at her hair. When her hand was met with oily, flaky substance, she flinched. _When was the last time you took a shower, Korra?_ She asked herself.

As she wandered around the room, looking for an excuse not to take a shower, she pondered over what her schedule would look like today. She didn't have class, _thank God, _and no work either. That would mean no Tahno, whom she started to thoroughly enjoy. Since there was no threat of sex or a romance or both tainting their friendship, they could hang out with each other in relative ease. He'd proved himself to be a great person, if not a little haughty sometimes. He liked Korra's "rustic sense of fashion" as he'd put it, only recommending she wear longer sleeves or gloves. She'd promised herself she'd buy some.

But besides fashion, Tahno was good at other things. When they were on break together, he'd make her a latte and they'd drink outside so Gommu wouldn't catch them. Tahno's lattes were to die for. And he was also good at listening. Whenever she needed to complain, Tahno lent her an ear. And he gave wonderful advice, full of confusing gay analogies and references to pop culture that Korra never really understood until the very end.

Korra rushed back to her cell phone, sitting on the edge of her bed. But she tripped just as she brushed her fingertips against it, causing both her and the phone to fall. She wasn't sure how it'd happened but the phone bounced against the floor, ricocheted off the desk's leg, and pounced into their overflowing laundry basket.

The brunette stared at it from the floor for a full ten seconds before shouting,_ "HOW?!"_

Finally she stood and jerked it from the laundry, checking her messages. She'd finally gotten used to the whole "texting" thing, though it looked much easier on Asami's iPhone. The NOKIA phone Korra had was a stegosaurus, slow as it was durable. She had approximately four conversations saved: Tahno, Bolin, Asami and Amy. The longest conversations were the first three, whilst the one with Amy constituted of empty threats to lock each other outside and angry questions about where the last Hot Pocket went. She was seriously considering getting her own dorm. Sharing was _not_ caring, as Korra had come to find.

Korra's stomach began to make dying whale noises. She sighed and stuff her phone into a drawer before gathering her bathing supplies and some clothes. She would take a shower, then go down to the student lounge for some breakfast.

* * *

The student lounge was still relatively empty, considering it was only six forty in the morning, but Korra was confused. It was mid-October, midterms were just around the corner. Was no one studying? The various student lounges throughout URU were utilized for eating and cramming/studying in the wee hours of the morning, so Korra had every reason to be confused.

But it was their loss. Now she had the whole area to herself. She threw her backpack carelessly onto one of the tables and reached into her jeans. They were newly washed so they were stiff and chafing her thighs, but they were the only clean pair she had. She pulled out a ten and walked over to the snack machine. Korra had promised herself one day that she'd gorge herself with big, soft cookies one day and today was that kind of day. She punched in the number for the Grandma's Cookies twice, so she'd have four times the fun. After she tucked the little packages under her armpit, she went to the coffee machine and paid for a large, steaming cup of magic. When it was complete, she ferried the cup and her cookie breakfast to the table. She ate with abandonment, enjoying the way her tongue tingled as she salivated over the delicious peanut butter cookies. She loved the idea of two giant cookies per pack. "I love you, Grandma," she whispered to the pack as she chewed.

When the last of her coffee was downed and the last crumb was swallowed, Korra threw away the trash and went back to her backpack and fished for her sociology book. She always thought that sociology was supposed to be easy, laid back even. Her friends had told her that URU didn't take that field seriously enough for any emphasis to be put on it. Just Korra's luck to accidently select a professor who had a knack for failing his students just because they misplaced an "I". Professor Hong was nit-picky, meticulous and tough. When Amy found out Korra was taking Hong's class, she warned her that his midterm was long and tedious, and so thorough it was like reading the textbook itself.

Sighing, Korra opened her book and started to read. But after thirty minutes of studying, she groaned and closed the book with attitude. Looking around, she realized that no students were in the lounge. She checked her phone. It read 7:19. Korra scanned the vast room again. No one was here. It was a ghost town.

Desperate for answers, she decided to text her campus know-it-all, Bolin.

_"dude…what is going on? there're no students here."_

As she waited for a reply, she started reading the answers to the questions in her textbook off the back flap. Her phone beeped a moment later, and Korra was mildly surprised that Bolin had literally nothing better to do than answer her texts. Her blue eyes shifted to the screen.

_"there's no class today. the faculty has this conference or some shit. Where are u?"_

Korra gaped at her phone for a second. A conference? No class? And she was sitting here like an idiot doing **_what?_**

_"I'm in the student lounge I didn't have class so I thought I could study. But like Bo this place is dead. I totally forgot."_

Bolin must have been laughing his ass off because he replied after six minutes with: _"LMFAO u new fag! Did u not get the memo every prof told their class this wtf korra ur so retarded lmfao smh."_

Korra narrowed her eyes and punched out a new message when her screen glowed with a new yellow envelope, meaning a new message had come her way. Intrigued, she pressed, "open" and nearly vomited when she read the message.

* * *

Within twenty minutes, Korra had sprinted to the nearest bus stop. The freezing autumn air of Chicago would have bothered her if it weren't for the fact that she was late. _So very late_. When she got to the bench, she checked the schedule and closed her eyes in relief. The next bus would arrive in six minutes. She slammed her head against a pole, feeling like an idiot. She felt like an even bigger idiot when the cold metal clanged against her cranium.

"_Ow,"_ she groaned, rubbing her forehead. "Why did I _do_ that?"

A raspy chuckle behind her gained her attention and she jumped. Korra spun around and found Tarrlok Asha placing a set of bags on the bench and chuckling at her.

"Tarrlok? What are you doing here?" She asked, shocked. "Don't you have a conference?"

The fellow Alaskan rested on the bench and patted the area not taken over by him or his luggage. Korra cautiously sat where his hand had been. He replied, "You're not the only one with a lack of private transportation. Still working for that pension, you know."

Korra rubbed the back of her neck, sighing, "Yeah, I forgot today was a faculty day so I basically forgot I had to babysit Mr. Gyatso's children." She held up her phone in her hand. "How sad is it that he had to text me to get my ass over to his house? He said my behavior was 'highly unprofessional'."

Tarrlok looked surprisingly understanding despite his normally condescending disposition. "Ah, but that's only understandable, Korra. This is still your first faculty day and presumably your first job, correct?"

"Yes," Korra replied, nodding. Tarrlok looked satisfied with her agreement and waved his hand about as he spoke.

"It's no wonder he has to look for employees in the student body, his _treatment_ of you is highly unprofessional. No facility-trained caregiver would put up with his demanding personality," he said nonchalantly.

Korra quirked an eyebrow and said, "Are we talking about the same Gyatso here? _Tenzin Gyatso_, the guy at student affairs! He may be a little pushy sometimes but overall he's a great father and employer. I really don't appreciate the way you talk about him." She glared at him.

Surprisingly, Tarrlok clucked his tongue at her and shook his head. "Oh, Korra. I understand you were taught never to question the authorities, but come, you're no fool. People like you, like me, we're free spirits. We don't need to be pushed around by our bosses. You make your own rules."

"Not if you want to be fired," Korra retorted, disbelievingly. She grasped her phone tighter in her hand.

Tarrlok smirked and replied, "Not if you do it _right. _You can bend your own rules, you know. Just don't break through them. Because then, my dear, you _will_ look highly unprofessional. And no one will hire you if you're unprofessional. But if you show people how tough you are, how you won't take anyone's nonsense, you'll be a shoe-in for any career you want. And then you won't work as some uptight father's doormat ever again."

Before Korra could say another word, the blue and white bus drove up to the curb and opened its doors. Tarrlok gave her a pearly white smile and picked up his bags. "It was nice to see you, Korra," he said.

Speechless, the young woman followed him in, but after she paid her fare, she stood off to the side, tightly clutching the metal pole while Tarrlok took up a fourth of the empty bus seats with his possessions. Once the bus got moving again, Korra glanced up at the man. He was wearing a dignified navy blue suit, with a stark white shirt underneath, and a charming blue bowtie. His long brown hair was tied behind his head in one braid. His shoes were finely polished, and he looked freshly shaved. The soft, barely there creases on his forehead, round his blue eyes and mouth made him look wise and knowledgeable.

Hell, the little talk he gave her about Mr. Gyatso made him sound wise. Wrong, but wise. Just then, the man looked up and caught her staring at him. He gave her a little smirk, one so patronizing and yet so cool Korra had to stare for a few moments more before turning her head away expertly and hiding the red of her face. Yes, wise. That's what he was.

* * *

When Korra eventually reached the Gyatso house, she was shocked and mortified that Mr. Gyatso was waiting for her _outside._ She swallowed her nerves and greeted her employer with a smile.

"Good morning, Mr. Gyatso. I apologize for being late. I've been a little scatterbrained this past week," she confessed. She clenched the arms of her backpack and un-clutched them.

The man sighed in frustration, stroking his beard as though it could calm him down. "I don't have time to reprimand you, Korra, but I expect better. I hope this doesn't occur again."

"Of course, Mr. Gyatso," she rejoined. Then she blinked and looked around. "Kids inside?"

His beard was stroked again. "No, they were picked up by their buses ten minutes ago."

Korra blanched. "I was supposed to take them to the bus stop?"

Mr. Gyatso sighed, "If you'd gotten here early enough. But worry not, at twelve, Rohan's bus will be here, he's in preschool, so you must pick him up yourself. At two forty-five it will be Jinora's turn, and at three thirty will be Ikki and Meelo. The older children can walk home by themselves, but remember, Rohan must be picked up. _Understood?"_

The brunette nodded, all the while replaying Tarrlok's speech in her head. _Yeah, I'm not a dog,_ she thought.

"Good," the older man responded. Then he promptly climbed into his car and drove away. Korra waved him goodbye and sighed. She never thought the man would outright _yell_ at her. It almost hurt.

She spun around and walked towards the door, seeing as he'd left it slightly open for her. A key spare, was jut into the lock. She pulled it out and slammed the door behind her. It satisfied her anger quite a bit. Then she thrust the key back in and locked herself in. She trudged into the living room and dropped her backpack onto the couch before following suit. She propped up her comfortable brown boots on the coffee table and reached for her cell phone.

Her phone had been blown up by messages from Bolin, all of them apologetic.

_"Korr? Hey, man I'm real sorry for callin u retarded that was wrong"_ (sent at 7:30 AM)

_"korra don't be mad at me, come on" _(sent at 7:45 AM)

_"I'll take you out for noodles if you say something" _(sent at 8 AM)

The last message was sent fifteen minutes ago. _Sheesh, he's acting like I'm his girlfriend, _she thought to herself. She texted back quickly:

_"Haha Bo I'm not mad I just remembered I have to sit for Gyatso."_

As she waited for a reply, she stood up and walked around the house. Her first instinct was to enter Jinora's room. That child fascinated her. Korra had never heard of a girl so in tune with literature, geek culture and spirituality before. Jinora wore a t-shirt that once said "The name Pavlov rings a _bell" _and it took Korra the whole night to get the reference. For a fourteen year old in public school, Jinora was a genius.

Korra opened the oak door to the girl's bedroom, not nearly as blinded by the bright yellow paint as she had been the first time she entered the room. She noted the collection of papers and books that littered the floor and desk. The bed was made, though. On top of the bed was an entire stack of what looked to be Harry Potter books. Korra flipped through one of them but grew bored quickly. She placed it neatly back in its place and looked around some more. On the girl's desk there were picture frames. Korra looked closely. One picture was of an elderly man with a dark beard and an orange sweater on. His grey eyes sparkled. The brunette was sure she'd seen his picture in the house before. Her eyes moved to the next picture, of a tanned woman with long, curly grey hair tied in a ponytail. She had a gentle smile and wore a blue parka. She looked a little like the elderly man in the other photo. As she thought about it, her phone beeped in her free hand. She checked it and smirked at the text Bolin had sent her.

_"hey ur alive! Lol for a sec I thought I had to call the police. So u sittin for Gyatso? Sucks for u man. Guess what im doing"_

_"What?" _Korra replied almost instantaneously.

Her stomach growled. Grunting, the brunette mentally punched herself for neglecting to give her stomach a proper breakfast nearly two hours ago. She ventured into the kitchen and started digging through their pantries. Eventually, she found some kind of soy-free gummy worm candy called "Doodles". It sounded hysterical but she was hungry.

As she shoveled the "Doodles" into her mouth, she read what Bolin sent her next.

_"I'm with Toza Oah!"_

Baffled, Korra replied, _"Who?"_

_"Do I have to teach u everything? Oah's only the best kick boxer in the state! He's like my hero!"_

Smiling now, Korra texted back, _"Aw, that's great, Bo! Is he nice?"_

_"Well, he's kinda rough around the edges, but I like that in people."_

_"that's great Bolin I'm happy for you. Maybe he can get you in the big leagues?"_

_"u know that's my dream. If I could be kickboxing champion of Illinois I'd give all my winnings to charity."_

_"seriously?"_

_"Why not?"_

_"No reason. Good for you. Have fun with this Toza guy."_

_"Will do. And hey, Korr?"_

_"what?"_

_"I was serious about the noodles thing. This Saturday night? At 7?"_

Korra nearly dropped her phone at the last sentence. Was he really asking her out? This was Bolin. He flirted and joked and made hints but he'd never actually up and asked her on a date. Holy crap, what was she going to do? She quickly weighed her options, knowing he was awaiting an answer.

_OK,_ she thought, _Pros of dating Bolin: he's really nice, cute, he's strong, likes to party and have fun. Studying sports management. Cool guy. Cons of dating Bolin: he's childish, immature, relies on his brother heavily, has an obsession with kick boxing so unhealthy there should be rehab for it, has a weird haircut, a little clingy. Also: brother is hotter than him. Son of a bitch! Did I seriously just think that?_

She shook her head as if willing away a terrible memory. So what his brother was more handsome? That wasn't the case. This was Bolin. _Bolin, Bolin, Bolin_, her mind chanted. _Focus on the younger Li'eng. _

Giving it some thought, unless she wanted to continue thinking of other guys, especially Bolin's older brother, she had to date Bolin. At least for a little while. At least until her brain stopped being an asshole and started thinking straight.

Her phone beeped and her heart nearly broke as she read the message. She sighed, typing, _"It's a date."_

* * *

**HOOOOOHHHHH Korra's gonna date Bolin now! Don't you Makorra fans worry, your time will come. Just be patient.**

**Speaking of Makorra, freaking Book 2. I knew Unalaq was going to be a bad guy. I effing called it. I can't wait for the next episode. GAH I love the new season. Someone stop me I'm foaming at the mouth. Arghh too late. *faints***


End file.
